The Bonds We Trust Too
by Rocks-my-socks
Summary: AU. Alice and Frank were not tortured at the end of the war. What now for the Longbottom family?
1. The Longbottom Family

**Author** **Note:** So here is my NanoWrimo for this year. I made it to the 50K, but shall be editing along the way as I post this. The good news it is a finished fic so it should not be too long between updates. It is another AU and dedicated to the lovely character of Neville Longbottom. After writing Alice/Frank in Four Letter Words, I fell in love with them and this story was the result!

**Disclaimer:** The Characters and world of Harry Potter is not mine!

**The Bonds We Trust Too**

**Chapter 1**

"Right little man I am going to get you to bed," said Alice Longbottom as she picked up her blonde haired son. He happily gurgled as he was lifted into her arms and settled on to her hip. She pushed a kissed to his head.

Alice was an ever optimistic woman and that gave her a glow that she was sure her baby had picked up on since a very young age. She also supposed it helped that whenever she was with her baby that glow tripled just because he was with her. No one could accuse Alice of being a bad mother. In fact, many had commented since she had had her son that she had been born to be a mother. All you had to do to know that she adored her baby to the point of spoiling the boy was watch the two of them together.

Neville was in her little ray of sunshine and he always had been. Maybe it was that he was her first born baby, maybe it was because his birth had been difficult but she didn't feel right when she was not with him some days. It scared her for them to be apart. No, she was always happiest when he was in her arms and he seemed to rather like being there too she thought as she kissed his cheek.

Her adorable baby boy. Her angel.

She glanced over at the clock. It was seven thirty. Frank had hoped that he was going to get away early that night but there must have been another busy day at the ministry she thought to herself. Aurors were in high demand. They had been for quite some time now.

The times were so troubled and they were only getting worse, not even she could deny that. And now they all lived in fear of some maniac who wanted to take over the world. Voldemort. She refused to think of him as He Who Shall Not Be Named. No, that man had a name and it was used in the Longbottom household. She was not running scared of him.

"Shall we get you upstairs and get you in the bath then Neville?" she muttered to him tenderly as she lovingly looked at his face.

"Pop?" the curious baby asked.

"Great minds hey baby? No, your daddy is at work. He isn't going to be able to bath you tonight baby. Just mummy tonight." She said with a small sigh.

They went up to the bath and thanks to the handy work of Alice's wand the tub was soon filled with water and bubbles. Neville was splashing about in no time. He had no fear of the water and he never had. At least no when he had his parents with him. No he positively enjoyed bath time. Always had done...

The rubber dragons and magical creatures flew about the bath room keeping him entertained as she washed him gently. His skin was sensitive to a lot of things as she and Frank had learned quickly so they were always gentle with their son.

But then she found it easy to be tender with her little poppet.

"You don't get any bigger little man," she said as she learnt across the bath and kissed him her sleeves rolled up so they would stay dry. Staying dry when bathing a baby was another art she had had to learn. "You just be my baby forever." There was just a hint of sadness in her voice.

By the time that her son had got into his warm pyjamas she had a rather tired Neville on her hands yet still he seemed to be fighting to stay awake. No prizes for guessing why she thought to herself.

Eight o'clock.

"Daddy will be home soon sweetie pie," she said as she put him in his high chair upon entering the kitchen. Instantly he whinged. He was happy until he was tired usually. Then he just wanted to be cuddle constantly.

"I know but mamma has to get your milk," she said running a hand down his soft hair and kissing him. It did nothing to appease him.

Neville had hit the grizzly phased of the night.

"I know," she cooed as he continued to whinge from across the kitchen as she got the formula together. "I know my tired boy, everything is ok. You just give your mummy a minute and she is going to be right with you." She said as she got his bottle together.

"The bottle is just heating up and then you can have some milk sweetie and a nice big cuddle to go with it I think," she said to him. "Ok, ok here it is." She said as the milk was magically heating to just the temperature he liked it. Honestly, she had no idea how muggle mothers coped with their little ones sometimes. She knew if it were not for magic she would be utterly lost at times. Especially when he had been a new born, she did not know how she would have coped! Not so much now she had got rather used to being a mother but the first few months had been a learning curve for her and he husband. She would not have liked to have faced them without magic.

As soon as he was back in her arms Neville nuzzled into Alice with mop of hair tickling her neck. That delicious baby smell was all about her and it was comforting to them both.

Heading up to the nursery that she had lovingly painted herself (that time she had done it the 'muggle way'), telling Frank that she had wanted to pour all the love she had for her baby into it.

She had always been such a wonderful artist that he had simply stepped back and trusted her judgement implicitly. He had not been disappointed.

The room seemed to be a million colours that all worked wonderfully together, though blue dominated despite the fact she had wanted originally to keep away from the cliché of blue for a boy. There was a truck with elves and hippogriffs on it and pictures of unicorns all about them, magically charmed to run about the walls. Very muggle indeed her husband had said. She admitted when she had got going with it her ideas had just got bigger and bigger. When he had been in her womb he had been a big sense of inspiration to her.

But the thing that she was most grateful for was that she had listened to her mother when she had talked her to put a rocking chair into his room. It had been well used. It was her favourite place in the house. Near the world.

"Here we are then," she said as she sat down in it once more, her eyes still grazing adoringly at what she considered to be the miracle in her arms. She did not to ever let him out of them.

Despite being over one now, Neville still allowed his mother to cradle him as she had when he had been a new born and his head was soon lulled into her arm with his hand covering one of hers as she put the bottle into his mouth.

She supposed sometime soon she was going to have to start thinking about taking him off of the bottle. He wasn't going to be a baby forever. But not yet... not yet she thought... she just wanted to keep him safe and small forever.

But it seemed Neville had other ideas. He was just about starting to try to walk now. She knew that her friends Lily's boy, Harry had been toddling about for a while now but Neville seemed to be a bit of a slow learner. He was going to get there in the end though. She had a great deal of faith in her boy.

He was going to conquer whatever challenge came to him. For now he was just taking his own sweet time.

Soon he had given up his fight to stay awake. She could see his eye lids were getting heavier. Alice held him till she was sure that he was not going to wake. Her boy was such a deep sleeper when he was really settled that not a lot could wake him for anything. Putting the emptied bottle on the side she gently placed him in his crib that she and her husband had put in the nursery begrudgingly six months earlier to appease his Franks mothers.

Augusta had very firm views on how her grandson sound be raised. The trouble was that they did not go along with how Alice and her husband thought he should be. And Frank knew that she had the best instincts for what her son needed no matter what his mother said and he was always going to take her own advice above someone else's.

Alice made sure that he was tucked on, his blanket over her.

"Night baby angel," she muttered as she left the room, his night light still dimly on so she could see him sleeping peacefully from where she stood at the door. If only she could freeze the moment that they were in.

"Have you put him down already?"

"Frank," Alice said in hushed tones as she jumped out of her skin. She had been so wrapped up in their son that she had not seen him come in.

"Oh honey I'm sorry," he said as she realised he had made her jump. She had never been jumpy when they were kids, but he supposed they had a lot more to defend now and they were living in very different times to what they had been when they were young.

The Hogwarts days had been so peaceful he now appreciated. He wished he had known that at the time.

"Frank," she repeated as she stepped into his arms. She was so glad every time that he got home to her from work. When he came home she knew he had made it through another day.

"It's me baby," he said before he kissed her ear sealing in what he had told her. He just wanted to hold her. He had all day.

"He tried to wait up for you," She said to him as she turned so that she stood once more facing into her baby's bedroom. She held his hands so that they were still about her waist.

"Was he ok tonight?" he said in her ear tenderly as he felt her heart rate go back to what it had been. He had not meant to scare her.

"He was as happy as a button. Little grizzly before I put him down but I think he was just missing you." She sighed.

"He was?" said Frank as he unwrapped his arms from about his wife, and walked into his sons room. He had hoped that he was going to see him before he went to sleep. He hated days when he did not make it back in time to see him. He did not want to miss a day in his son's development. He knew that the years they were going through now were important ones. Leaning over his sons crib he looked in on the image of himself as a child. Father and son were both blonde and both chubby, though Frank had become more portly as he got older.

"I missed you too my little man," he said gently as he caressed his sons cheek. Neville was his daddy's whole world thought Frank, along with his mother. Alice had a smile spread over her face as she saw her boys together. The world could melt away as long as the three of them were together. Frank put a hand over his sons and unconsciously the little hand held on to it and begun to dribble all over it. "Daddy is home now, so you just sleep sweetheart. Daddy and mamma are here." He said with a sad chuckle.

Kissing his forehead, he stood up and went back over to Alice. "Come on," he said and led her out of the room. They should leave him to his dreams he thought to himself, though he would loved to see his baby dream. He wondered what his son saw when he shut his eyes. How vivid the colours were or what shapes took forming his child's mind.

"Did you have a really busy day?" she asked. She looked into his face and saw he was exhausted.

Her poor baby... he looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"It is getting worse Ally, every day," He admitted to her. He was terrified that one day when he came home he wasn't going to have a wife and child to come back too. He saw what the world was doing to families just like theirs every day. He did not know what he was going to do if his family was ever separated. How on earth would he ever get by if he lost his wife and son now? There would be nothing left to go on for...

"You and the boys were swamped."

"We all only just got off. Sirius has gone back to Potters so that he might get a bit of home cooking. You two are the only ones I have wanted to see all day," He admitted. She was not the only one who found it hard to be away from the child. He knew he was not the only one who had been glad to be going home at the end of the day either. James and Sirius were always happy when they went back to the Potters.

"And you I sweetheart. Do you want a bit of dinner to? You must be starving baby, " she said as she took his hand and lead him into the kitchen.

While not as old as some families, the Longbottom's had been a wizarding family for years and so had gained some wealth. Eventually, they wanted to go to the country with their boy but for now they were living in an old Victorian town house in inner London. The area was clean and prosperous but it wasn't really what Alice wanted to remember as the home of Neville's childhood.

Neville should have a garden, or at least a bigger one to run out in, she mused to herself as she got her husband his dinner. They had spoken about moving further out but that that moment it made no sense. They were close to Order of the Phoenix head quarters and Order members could use their place to crash if they needed too. No, they were in the best place at the moment and they had to be there for the foreseeable future. The move just was not plausible yet. Maybe it would be one day, but not yet.

But for that night, at least, the small family was alone in their house and for that Alice was grateful. She did mind when people stayed over but she also loved it when they were alone. And she wanted her boys to herself that night.

"We have got some stew left over from last night if you want that or I can make you some pasta,." She told him. Whenever he got home from work she now had a need to look after him that she could not explain. She just wanted to protect him and look after him as much as she could. But she was not his little women.

It was bad enough that he would not let her go back to work – his argument that Neville had needed her more had in the end had won her round. She did miss the days when they had gone to work together though. When she had known he was going to be ok because the one holding his back was her.

"Stew will be good baby," he said as he collapsed in one of the chairs that was round there dinner table.

"Coffee too?" she checked. But really she knew the answer. He had a look on his face that told her he was on need of a caffeine hit.

"You are an angel," he said to her smiling. He knew he was always going to be able to be able to rely on her. "What did you guys do today?"

"Not a lot actually. He had a nap this afternoon and your mum owled us to go over to hers for dinner on Sunday, but we can't go. Lily wrote first and said she was going to do dinner for us. It is good for Neville to see Harry for a bit." She said with a smile. She was glad she had already made plans. It was not so much that she did not like her mother in law but at times she had to say she was trying. And that was something she had never found Lily.

"Yeah those boys enjoy being together don't they?" he nodded. He seemed to have got closer to James since the two of them had been fathers. It was a bond that the two of them had that James did not share with the Marauders. And he liked that. He liked that they were all drawing together as a group. In the times that they were living in it was just what they needed to do.

"I want to go see Lily as well," she admitted. She missed the days when the two of them had been girls in the dorm room together.

Everything was so different now, she mused.

"You ok Ally?" Asked Frank. He knew that far off look in her eye. It was liked she wished she was some place else.

"Just fine," she said to him with a forced smile.

Two hours later the two of them were in bed and she had his arms over her. The two of them lay side by side, sleep evading both of them. He could recall the days when his wife had gone to sleep as soon as she had got into bed. He had to say those days were long gone and he missed them. She was always on edge now and he never seemed to be able to make her feel safe. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm trying to calm her. But there were muggle attacks every day. People were dying and fighting for what they believed in every day. It was not the world where she wanted her son growing up in. She wanted his world to be safe and secure.

"Why don't I go get baby? Bring him in here with us. You always sleep better when he is with us." He said as he kissed her arm. Neville was able to calm his mother it seemed. When she knew she was needed to feel calm for his good that _made_ her calm. If her son needed her then she was there.

"I'll go." She said.

As if he had known what his parents had just said they heard there baby start crying in the other room.

"I swear that little man knows what us two are doing every hour of every day." She said with a fond smile over her shoulder.

She soon had her dressing shown on and was crossing the room to be with her son. He was sitting up in his crib and his big eyes were looking up at her.

"Hey baby do you want a cuddle?" she said to him. "Cause mummy does."

He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She did not think she remembered life without him. But then she didn't want to.

"Daddy is home. Do you want to go and see your daddy?" she said as she bent down and picked him up.

As soon as he heard the word daddy, Neville was wide eyed and nodded, almost struggling to get out of his mother's arms. "Come on then my sweet pea. You want your daddy don't you my love?"

Frank had sat up in bed when his wife had got out bed. He knew what his son was like at times in the middle of the night. Not that Neville was bad, just that he needed a bit of fuss till he settled. Didn't they all?

"Hey baby boy," he said as he saw Alice bring him in the room. He had his eyes wide opened and reached out for his daddy as soon as he saw him.

"I told you that he missed you today," said Alice knowingly as she gave the child to his father.

"Aww, did you miss me son?" he said as he let the lad cuddle into him, "cause daddy missed you."

"Pop pop!" Neville said as he took his hand.

"Yeah your pop pop is here don't you worry my darling. I am with you." He said as he wrapped his arms about him and kissed him.

His gorgeous boy....

He knew that it was most likely that he was just being stupid but at times Frank was sure that his son knew something was wrong with their world. It was just the way that he acted, as if he had a sixth sense. Like he was as scared as his mother had been when he got home late. And the way he clung on to them both at times it was as if he thought he was never going to get to see them again.

In fact there were times he would not even go to his Gran or Lily and James. He was just a mummy and daddy's boy, Frank supposed. Not that he would nave his baby boy any other way. No, his Neville was perfect just the way he was.

Well it was not as if they did not give him enough reason to be scared, thought Frank guilty. If his mother knew that the majority of nights they still brought Neville in to sleep with them then he knew, that more than surprised, she would be angry and she would say that they were spoiling him. But in the times that they lived in...

He just wanted to keep his family close by. He didn't want his son to be in the next room when he could be right there with him and Ally. When he had married alike he had made solemn vows that meant everything to him. Namely that he was going to love her for the rest of his life. It went without saying that extended to their baby.

Their sweet baby boy. Their entire reason for being.

He knew that the two of them were going to have a big family. They had talked about it many times and they knew that they wanted to have more children. But there was no way that they were going to bring more children in to the world when they were fighting Voldemort with the rest of the Order. It would not be fair on any of them. It was bad enough that Neville sensed the stress that his parents felt so much. If there was one thing Alice could do except to defeat Voldemort it would be to take the stress her baby felt at times away from him.

"Is that better?" she cooed as she watched him snuggle into his father. He seemed so calm and happy when he was with them she noted. That was why it was best she did not go to work. Her son needed one of them with him.

"I think it is," said Frank as he kissed him on the forehead. He wasn't sure that he cared what his mother thought when he had his baby so close to him. He knew full well that when Neville was too old to hold as he was being held then that he would miss it and that he would simply treasure the memories that they were making.

Alice leaned across and ruffled her baby's hair. Frank gave her the warmest smile that told her she was all he was ever going to want for him and their boy. Then stretching out his hand he wordlessly brought her into their hug and soon the three Longbottom's were settled into their own affectionate world that no Dark Lord could disturb.

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	2. The Potter Family

**Chapter 2**

"Do you want a bit of help, Lily?" asked Alice as she walked out in to the kitchen at the Potters house. The meal had thankfully come round quickly and it was not only the two small families together but the other Marauders were there also. It was good to see Remus and Peter. Alice only wished that Mary had been able to join them. However since they had left school, she had seemed to become more and more of a recluse. It was sad thought Alice. Whereas the rest of them were drawing tighter and tighter together she was taking herself away from them.

"No, thank you honey, I am fine. You just get some wine and settle down!" she said to her with a smile. The red head had a blue jumper and black trousers on as she finished making the meal the muggle way.

"Well, I do not need to be told twice," she said to her. It was obvious to Lily as a fellow mother that they were both going through a hard time. To raise your first child is hard at the best of times but to do so with a killer on the loss... well it was not a good time for either of them and not like they had wanted it to be. Not at all.

There had been another thing that had also bonded the two families, thought Alice as she poured a glass not only for her but also for Lily; the fact that either one of the boys could have been the so called 'Chosen One'.

She still remembered the fear she had had in her heart when she had gone in to Dumbledore's office and she had been told that her son might have been marked for death before he had even been born. She had been able to feel her son move inside of her and already then she had to begin to fear for his life.

She loved the Potters and she always had and she would lay down her life for their little Harry if she had to in a heartbeat. But she could not lie to herself and say that she was not glad it was not Neville who had been marked as the equal. She did not want that for her son. But then neither did Lily. It was so unfair that the prophecy had marked either one of the lads.

She could not know and she did not want to know how it must feel to look down in to your baby's crib and know that there was someone out there who was actually hell bent of taking the little life away. She knew that she would want to kill that person.

She was not a violent person, but she did not know if she could hold herself back if it came to someone hurting her son. In fact, she knew she would not be able to stop herself.

She had to say, she had a huge amount of respect for Lily just because she was so restrained. She had kept her cool all those months when she would have fallen apart she was sure of it. She did not have the same strength as her friend did.

"Are you ok Ally?" Lily asked her much as Frank had the night before. She was just about to over fill the second glass. "You look like a woman who has a lot on her mind," said Lily caringly.

"How do you do that?" said Alice quietly.

"What?"

"Still care about what the rest of us are thinking when your situation is so much worse than the rest of ours." She said to her. She did not get it.

"You know I don't think like that Al. You know as well as I do that we are all in it together girl." She said with a forced smile.

Ally run a hand through her hand and went over to her gracious host to hug her. "You are a true lady Lily. There are not a lot of you about any more but you are one." She said lovingly. She did not know what she would do without a friend like Lily some days.

"As are you. Don't forget it Ally." She said as she looked away and blushed. "Dinner is nearly done," said Lily, pulling them both out of their emotional state. I am going to go and call the boys."

Alice thought that was most likely for the best. She did not want to get all weepy. It would do neither of them any good.

"I can go get them," she said as she navigated her way through the Potters home to the living room where she found the seven males who were in the house together.

The focus was as always the two little boys who were sitting together in the middle of the floor and Alice had a hard time to try and image a place where they were going to be safer than with their uncles as well as their daddy's. But then really, there was no safer place for Harry and Neville. The men who were about them would never harm them.

She swallowed and run a hand through her hair. She knew she was being silly. She did not understand why the lot of them being together was such a hard thing for her that day. It was just hurting, she thought to herself. She genuinely had no idea why.

"Come on then, do guys want to come and get a bit of dinner?" she said from where she stood. Her voice shook a little but she hoped she was going to be able to pass it off as a shiver.

"is Lily done with the cooking then?" said James as he got up from where he had been sitting and scooped his little son up into his arms as her husband did the same. Both the boys had smiles on their faces.

"Yes she is and it smells really good," she said as they all trooped out of the room.

"Lily is such a good cook. It is one of the things I love about my beautiful wife," said James in a voice which he knew said wife was going to hear.

"If you do not know that flattery is going to get you nowhere with me, then there is no hope for you Mr Potter." Said Lily with humour in her voice.

"You are such a cruel Mrs Potter at times. It is lucky I love you my dear," said James, as he proceeded to put a smiling Harry in to his high chair looking at his wife over his glasses.

James and Lily's kitchen was different to Alice's, she thought to herself and she had to say she was rather jealous. Where the Potters were living in Godrics Hollow they were already out in the country and it was such a cute little cottage. The pine oak room was none the less spacious enough for the seven adults and the two little boys to have their dinner.

"Of course I am. Do you want me to transfigure one for Neville Alice?" said Lily nodding towards the high chair.

"No," Frank answered for her. His eyes caressed the little body in his arms. "He can eat on my lap." It felt as if it had been a long week in which he had hardly got to see his son. Every moment that he did get with him he wanted to have it.

"Are you sure?" said Alice. Frank could read what was on her mind and he had to admit it made him smile a little as he once more kissed the little lad in his arms.

"You know I love my mum but when it comes to raising Neville, it is up to the two of us and what we want that counts. And if I want to hold my son then that is what I am going to do." He said definitely with a smile on his face at her teasing.

"Well ok honey," said Alice as she sat down next to her boys. "I was only asking."

"I know you were and I did not mean to snap if I did. It is just mother despite what she thinks she is not always right."

Alice laughed and smile das she stroked her son's hair. The lad also smiled up at his father with his big adoring eyes. While the two of them had been chatting the rest of them had sat down and as she looked about the table it struck Alice that it could have been a scene from any era, of just a group of ordinary friends who were there for one another. There was no hint of Voldemort. It was as if he did not exist.

Peter, Remus, James, Frank and Sirius had shared a room through a great part of their youth and that meant they were bonded in the same way as she and Lily. Friendship was all about them. It was as strong as a living presence.

Alice tried to push the thoughts she had to the back of her brain. It felt as if the era for them was coming to an end. In reality, she told herself that was not going to happen. It wasn't going to because they were not going to let it.

"How was work Sirius?" asked Lily. Her James had had the day of at his friend's expense not that once he had offered Sirius was going to take no for an answer.

"It was another busy day."

"All the days seem to be fairly busy at the moment," said Frank as he nodded. "Was it a bad and busy or fairly tame?"

"Well we were not called out to any disturbances, if that is what you mean," he said as he took a taste of the casserole. "Lily, by the way, this is to die for!"

"He always said he should have courted you before James got the chance to," laughed Remus nodded at Sirius who had a smile on his face as the meal went down a treat with him.

"Yeah well if he had then he would have been in a lot of trouble," said James. Everyone laughed. Ever since they had been in fourth year they knew that Lily was the only girl who James had ever had eyes for really.

"It would have been the end of the marauders as we had known them," piped up Peter from where he had been seating.

"But it was not," said James. "And now the new age of the marauders has been begun. Neville and Harry are going to be the founding members, aren't you boys?"

Lily smirked. "I cannot believe you are trying to plot out our baby's Hogwarts career already. Can you please try and just let them both grow up a bit first."

"Motion seconded." Agreed Alice from where she had been sitting.

As the conversation had been developing Alice had been watching her boys together. As much as Frank obviously wanted is dinner he seemed to be giving his son most of it. Neville was waving about and he was knocking the spoon in to his father's jumper when he was not devouring the meal himself.

But Frank just breathed him in and kissed his son again. All he wanted was him to be safe.

"Do you lot want to sleep over tonight?" said Lily, to Alice once the meal was over. She had stayed with them a few times since they had been in hiding and she knew that it was good for them to have people about.

"Yeah I think I would," said Alice. They did not have to be up early. By the end of the night she had found real comfort in them bring together. Inevitably once they had got talking discussion had turned to the old days and she felt ever more nostalgic. "It is going to be good for the boys to spend a bit of time together." Ever since they had been new born Harry and Neville had spent a bit of time together regularly and now that the Potters had been forced in to hiding she was sure that he missed him.

"I agree. I want Harry to see a bit more of children his age, it is good for him," said Lily, as she considered what she had just said. "Oh, I know it sounds silly. I mean he is one, I doubt he knows but then...."

"You do not have to tell me any of this, Lily. I am a mother too."

Lily sighed as an odd look came over her face. It was a bit like frustration but it was darker. The brown haired women put a hand on her friends arm.

"I know that you think I am strong but I am _not_ so strong. Oh Alice," she sighed. The two of them were in the living room and they were quite alone. The boys had said they were going to come through but they had not yet. "When we are all together I do not know if I feel weaker or stronger." She said identifying how her friend had felt earlier. "James and Harry are being so wonderfully brave. James especially. He is literally laughing in the face of danger, do you know that? I thought he might lose the humour I fell in love with but he has not. And I love him all the more for it." She admitted to her with passionate tears in her eyes. "And my Harry is my little angel but you know what that is like. Neville is lucky to have both you and Frank, you do know that don't you Alice?"

She felt a blush rise in her cheeks. "I have to say I think it is me who is the lucky one. To have my boys..."

"Yes." Lily nodded. She had to say she was surprised she had not lost her composure by now. Part of her said what she was about to do was wrong but she felt she just had too. As an insurance policy. It was so important to her that she said this and that she asked this. Then maybe she was going to be able to sleep a little better at night. "Alice, I have to ask you a question and I think it is going to be hard for both of us but I still have to say it. You see last night me and James were writing our will. We said that if anything happened to us then we wanted Harry to go to Sirius."

"Well of course you did, he's his godfather," said Alice. She had to say her friend was right she finding it hard to talk about Lily and James being gone. But she knew full well that it was something she had needed to do. Because she was facing the end. And she feared for her son. It was something they were all facing.

"But, no, Alice please listen to me. If something happened to me and to James and then there was some reason that Sirius was unable to take Harry, I am sure that Remus would want to take him. And he would be such a good dad," she said though that was tight pain in her chest. They were sure that there was a traitor in the mist. Dumbledore said as much to them when they had been at the last Order of the Phoenix meeting. "But we both know because of his condition that he would never be allowed to take a baby in. Alice, if there was no one else, you and Frank... you are such good parents...." she said not believing she had to say this. She wanted to be the one who raised her son.

"Lily, you do not even have to say it. Of course, the two of us would take him in. God, I would love that child as if he was my own." She reassured her. "But this is a pointless conservation Lily. Because James is not going to let anything happen to you; neither is Dumbledore. "

"But if something really did happen would you take him in?" Lily checked.

"Without a second thought!" said Alice with a kind smile.

"What are you too looking so serious about?" said James as he came into the room. Alice didn't know why but she got the feeling that Lily had not spoken to her husband about what she had just said to her.

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	3. Worrying Times

**Chapter 3**

"It was awful. It was as if she really thought she was not going to get through it," said Alice, the next day as she sat over breakfast with husband. Even if Lily did not share everything with James, Alice did with Frank.

They had ever shared all their problems. But then James and Lily had so much more to deal with than they had, mused Alice. They had already been attacked twice. Once before they had had their son and once after they had had him. And they had all taken that as a sign that Harry was the chosen one... of course they could have got it wrong.

In some deep part of her heart, she knew her son might be the marked one. But she did not think so. And she would deny it till he came after them.

"I know we are all trying to put a brave face on it but we are all living in dangerous times," said Frank. It was the night after they had had their meals with the Potters and the two of them lay in bed side by side once more.

That night they had not yet brought their son in with them because that night Alice wanted to be with her husband as man and wife. She knew they were not going to bring another life into the world yet but they needed one another as they always had. Very little appeared to have changed between them since they had been young in that moment. It didn't matter that they were in danger.

Selfishly, Alice thought to herself, the fact remained she still wanted her husband in so many ways. She knew she was hardly old, but she felt as if she was still a girl in that moment.

She wanted him so much. So, so much.

"No matter what though, we will always be together won't we?" she said to him feeling as if she needed comfort from him.

"Of course we will. Me, Neville and you are going to be together as long as we live. I promise you." He found that his hand reached out for her cheek and caressed it gently. He was still as amazed by her then as he had been when he had first falling in love with her when they had been at school. He was always going to be in love with her, he thought. It was not possible to fall out of love with a woman such as Alice.

Unable to hold back any longer, he leant in and kissed his wife.

-

As Halloween neared the weather turned autumnal. There were more muggle attacks, and there were killings. Alice begun to read books more than she did the paper which she found too depression. She knew she should keep up with the news but she was not entirely sure that she could bare too. It seemed she had used up all her Gryffindor courage.

She got to hear what was going on from Frank when he got back and at the Order meetings too, she mused to herself. It was not as if she was out of the loop. But she was sick of the propaganda that the Daily Prophet was spewing out. _Things were going to ok, the ministry had it all under control_.

Then why did her husband have to risk his life say in day out in the field?

To distract herself she continued to fill her days with her son.

Neville remained her beautiful happy son and he was doted upon by her. She tried to get him to walk and to talk but he just wasn't ready too yet, she assumed. He was going to do everything in his own sweet time. And that was fine with his mother.

He just seemed to be contented to be held and to be cuddled. He was such a lovable baby, she mused. She wanted to keep him that way.

On Halloween afternoon, the two of them were at home when she heard a voice in the fire just after she had put him down.

"Can I come through and see you?" the stern voice.

"Of course, Augusta , come through."

Alice grimaced. Her mother in law. It was not as if she did not like her, it was just so often she found the aging lady was rather set in her ways. Alice agreed that she had done a wonderful job when she had raised Frank. She and Frank dad's who had died just after her own son had been born had been wonderful parents. But there was more than one way to raise a good child. And she was going to do it her way. She did not always appreciate her 'help'.

"Hello my dear how are you feeling today?" said Augusta as she came through the fire.

She sighed. She did not know how she was feeling. She was worried and she was scared. Frank was at work and the Potters were in danger but... "I am ok," she said unconvincingly. "Really I am."

Augusta nodded. She knew that even more than her own generation the one after had developed a very stiffer upper lip attitude to life.

"And how are my son and my grandson this morning?"

"Your son has already gone to work and Neville is having a nap," she said as she waited for criticism for letting him go down so early in the morning and then... it didn't come.

"You all must be tired at the moment." she nodded.

Alice looked at her with surprise and then instead of arguing, she nodded. They were and she knew it was written all over her face.

"Do you know that when he came home last night Frank told me what he had done that day? He had had to go to see a mother to tell her that her son had been killed by presumably a Death Eater. Who ever had done it left the mark but asides from that there was no trace of them; it was over by the time the Aurors had even got there. He had just been lying there. He had a mother, father, girlfriend..." she said as she put her head in her hands. "But they still killed him in cold blood without a second thought because he had been a muggle born," she said blood pulsating.

"We all know that it is wrong Alice dear. It is so very wrong how some people think."

The older she had got, the harder it had become for Alice to hear things such as that. The stories they had to hear every day were horrific. Of men, women and children being slaughter. For in reality who was not a child? Everyone had been born to a mother and Alice was of the opinion that every mother loved their child even if they were not always that good at displaying it.

"Yes it is, it is just plain sick at times." She sighed. "Augusta, I know this is going to sound really cheeky but do you mind watching Neville for a little bit. He shouldn't wake but I feel as if I have a bit of a headache and would like to get a bit of rest"

It was rare she got to take advantage of her mother in laws good humour and so while it was there she had to make the best of it. And bedsides it seemed shewas in a good mood.

"Of course dear, you get off to bed. The baby is going to be fine. You just get a bit of rest."

"Thank you," she nodded and she went up to her room.

Augusta was right. She was very tired and she was no good to no one when she was only half awake.

**-**

Frank was glad to be on his way home from the ministry for lunch. Though the day had not been as trying as the one before had been, none the less, there did not seem to be such a thing as a good day at work anymore. He remembered when he and the boys had started there Auror training, with Alice, he had loved to get up and go in. But then they had not realised then just how bad the war was going to be or what was going to be at stack.

He had been such a fool.

He flued into his home to find his mother was sitting on the sofa with her grandson in her lap. She looked as if she had the weight of the world of her shoulders.

"Hey mum," he said as he came in. Trying to keep a smile on his face he looked into her expression. It seemed to take a moment for her to register he had even come back.

"Frank," she said she seem to come round from whatever she had been thinking about. "You're home."

"Yeah it's me, mum. Is everything ok?" he asked as he saw that she was holding his son almost too tightly.

She had not been able to get what her daughter in law had said to her off of her mind. She was a mother as well. What if it had been her son?

"It is as well as anything can be in this day and age." She said to him grimly. It seemed for that day the idea of putting a brave face on in the Longbottom house had been abandon. "Alice had to go upstairs for a lie down. I hope you are taking good care of that girl." For all the fact that the two of them at times fought, she had always approved of Alice as a match for her son. She was sweet, kind and gentle but still more than capable of sticking up for herself. She was the sort of woman that her son needed.

"I think she is just worried over the Potters. She has found the war harder since they have gone away."

"Well they are your friends of course she has. She does little but stay in this house all day with the baby from what I could see. She needs to be going out a bit more." She said to her son, as ever letting him know of her opinion.

"Mum, you know that we had a talk about her working when we had baby," he said as he indicated his son. "God forbid, if something happened to me then she has to be here for him." he said. But the thought that he might not be the one to bring up his son hurt, even when he was just contemplating it.

"That day is not going to come." She said quickly. She just like him was unwilling to entertain the thought of his death. He had always been her brilliant boy and he had always done her proud. The thought of life without her son in it was unbearable. "You are going to see that boy grow tall. And yet," she begun... "If the worse did come and something happened to you and to Alice then the boy would always have a home with me." She offered.

"Well thanks mum but it is as you say. That day is not going to come. I know what you are saying about Alice. She is a clever woman she needs more than to be stuck in the house." He had always had the highest regard for his wife's intellect. "But at the same time, she would never settle into anything right now unless she knew where and what Neville was doing."

"Perhaps your right. But all the same it is going to do no good for either of them if they are together all day, every day. It will only upset his routine when she does go back to work and it will make Neville far too clingy and reliant on his mother."

"Mum, I know what you are saying and appreciate your advice, but Alice knows what is right for herself and what is right for Neville. Please let her take this at her own pace." He said. It would do him no harm to be with his mother, Frank thought. He disagreed with his mother there.

His eyes feel on his son who was now struggling to get out his Grans arms having seen his father and heard his voice. It was as ever with a smile that Frank picked him up, before turning back to his mother.

"Now do you want to join us tonight? We are going to make some pumpkin pie with your mum for Halloween, aren't we?" said Frank to his son … there were some occasions such as Halloween that should be kept normally for a little boy. Frank threw a fond look this mother. "Do you remember when I was young? We always had the best Halloweens when I was small."

"Yes we did," she nodded. She had never smothered her boy but she had made damn sure that he had had a childhood while he had had the chance to. And he knew in many ways that he had had a charmed childhood. "But no. I want to get home. Your uncle has said I can go to him for the night and if I am not with him then he is going to be by himself. You should have the time with your wife and child alone." She herself had hated it when her mother had imposed herself on them at Halloween. She had wanted to time with_ her_ husband and her son alone.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes my darling. You should have some time with your wife and your child. They need you Frank." She said to him seriously, but he nodded.

He had known that for a long time.

"Frank is that you?" a voice called from upstairs.

"Yes baby it is me. I just wanted to come home and get a bit of lunch," he said to her. Alice's feet were soon running down the stairs to greet him.

She had worried again.

However, the fact that she felt better than she had done with her mother in law had arrived there was written all over her. She had a smile on her face when she saw he husband and she felt more relaxed then she had for days.

Frank gave her a smile and was pleased to see her looking so happy.

"I was just telling mum that we are going to make pumpkin pie with Neville tonight." Said Frank.

"Oh yes. I can't believe we are at his second Halloween already. It seems mad," she said to Augusta. "You are welcome to join us if you want to. There is going to be plenty to go around."

"See mum? I asked her already, Alice. You really are welcome to stay if you want too."

"And I told you if I am not with your uncle then he is going to be on his own." She said sternly as she put the coat she had left on the back of the chair on."No, you three enjoy your night and I will see you in a few days, Alice dear." She nodded as she went over and kissed her.

"You be safe now." she nodded.

"I will be. Frank darling, You remember what I said." She said as she threw a look at her daughter in law. "And don't keep Neville up tonight. You do not want to break his -"

"Routine. Yes I know mum. Now you go safe." Her son said with a smirk

"I will. Goodbye," she said as she kissed her grandson and before the others had a chance to say another word to her they found that they were quite alone in their living room.

"Well, that was a nice visit." Said Alice to her husband as she greeted him with a kiss.

"Was that because you spent all of it upstairs in bed?" He laughed.

"What can I say, Neville had a bit of a restless night and I was tired when I got up."

"I never heard him."

"I didn't want to wake you, I knew you had to be in work today." she said to him.

Frank looked at her quizzically for a moment before he let it go.

"Do you have to go back to work this afternoon?" she asked and she hoped that the answer was no. That way they would be able to spend it together.

Some quality time.

"I do but I am going to be back by four. Promise." He said as he kissed her. He wished she did not stress so much when he was out of the house but there was little he could do about that any more.

Although she worried, as she ever did, Alice found that her husband was as good as his word and by the time that half four rolled around she was dishing up dinner for them both and they had already fed their son.

A night of baking was ahead of them and there would be a lot of laughter in their house that night.

But when they awoke the next morning, Alice and Frank would learn that there life had been completely changed.

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	4. The End Of An Era

**Chapter 4**

Alice got up next morning to the sound of laughter in the streets. Even though they lived in an area where muggles were also in residence, her and her husband also lived among other wizards. There were not many of them, but there was a community of them there. It was a nice mix of people she found.

Looking out of the window before she went downstairs she saw that many if there kind were out and they were strolling the streets, hugging people they had never even met before it seemed. Tears run down their cheeks.

"Frank," she said as she looked back to their bed. "I think something has happened." it seemed to her that day even the air was sweeter. There was a strange feeling to it.

"Is the Prophet here yet?" he asked from the bed where his infant son was still sleeping soundly by his side.

"No, not yet. But something has changed. I just know it."

Frank got out of bed and went over to where she had been standing. He had a smile on his face. Was she saying what he thought she was and did he dare to hope? After all this time...

It was a hard wait for them both as they waited for the Prophet to arrive. They both had a million things going through their heads. Alice was sure that she had never seen people act in that was before and certainly not since Voldemort had begun his reign of terror.

What did it all mean? And if it was over then what did that mean for the Potters? Frank had soon returned his sleeping son to his crib to let him rest while the two of them worried.

"Do you think the two of us should go down to Godrics Hollow? Do you think that James and Lily are going to be ok?"

But she knew the truth was he had no more idea about the answers to these questions than she did. He was as clueless as her.

Knowing that she was panicking almost in there state of ignorance, he put his arms about her to reassure her of the promise he had made to her in the previous weeks. That no matter what had happened they were always going to have one another.

"I love you," he reminded her as they looked out of the window. It seemed to take an age for Peggy, Alice's bird she had had since the two of them had been Hogwarts, to appear in the sky.

She was bringing the news to them, whether it was good or whether it was bad. Frank imagined a million headlines that may be on the front of the Daily Prophet.

Was it going to tell them that all their hopes had come true and Voldemort had met his demise? Was it going to tell them at that very moment Lily and James had been named as the hero's of the wizarding world?

God, that was what Frank wanted to read, but whatever it said he knew he had to read it quickly. He felt as if he was going to go mad in his unawareness if he was not told soon!

It was with trembling hands that he moved to the windows when he saw the bird land on the window ledge. Even she seemed to know something had happened. It was as if the colours of the world were different but no one knew who was the painter.

Yet the fact remained it may just be their imaginations thought Frank to himself.

What if they had stewed themselves up for nothing? What if everything was as it had been the day before?

"Open it," Alice told him as he finally got the newspaper off of the bird's leg. It had taken a lot of concentration to keep his hands sturdy enough to get the paper. It had taken concentration he did not even have, he was sure.

A deep breath – and then he saw it – everything he felt they had been waiting for so long.

"Ally, is has happened!" he said with an overwhelming joy. For the time being all he could see was the headline and that was all that he could care about. Nothing else mattered.

**He Who Shall Not Be Named has fallen.**

**He Who Shall Not Be Named has fallen.**

**He Who Shall Not Be Named has fallen.**

A sob of joy escaped his wife's lips and he turned his attention to her. She looked so beautiful even when she was crying with joy.

Joy.

"It has happened."

All he could do was stand there for a moment as if he had been struck dumb. It was as if ... he didn't know how to describe it. A murderer who had been terrorising his world, putting the fear of the devil into his wife... He was gone...

Somehow he did not even care about the details. Discarding the newspaper to the floor he moved closer to Alice once again. Knowing it was all over made the passion in him rise and once again he felt an overwhelming sensation of longing for her touch. He needed her in ways he had never before.

Feeling what he did deep within herself, Alice was soon tugging at the tie which was holding his gown up.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," she said as he moved closer to her. She did not know what to think, even if she had been able too... she did not even... Alice desperately wanted to say or do something but it all seem inadequate when she was in her husband's arms and she knew that he was gone. Voldemort was dead. He had fallen. It was truly over.

For all of them god wiling.

"It is done with baby!" he said as he put his hand at the top of her legs, desperate to be with his darling as one once more.

Just as he was about to pull her gown down over her shoulders, they were interrupted. As much as he loved his son, in that moment Alice had been the one he had wanted. Frank sighed.

"I am going to settle him down and then I am going to be right back," said Frank as he pulled himself together, kissing her passionately one final time. His body pulled the other way as walked towards the wooden stairs that would lead him to his son.

He had not wanted Alice so much in ... well... he didn't recall.

Standing in the kitchen by herself, Alice ran a hand through her head as she still struggled to digest what she had just been told. As much as her heart rejoiced at the fact that it was true, part of her did not understand how it could all just be over...

All the fear, and the hatred, and the death.

And it was all over?

Just like that?

The newspaper that her husband had so passionately discarded just a few minutes earlier was lying where it feel.

Just as his hands had been when she picked it up, her were trembling.

It fact she was shaking all over.

**He Who Shall Not Be Named has fallen.**

The words were still there. That meant it had to be true.

She read on in the article. She got further than her husband had got. And soon her joyful crying had turned to sorrow filled sobbed.

By the time that her husband had returned to her she was nothing less than a devastated mess.

"Lily and James... Harry... Lily and James," she said to him as he crouched down beside her and took her in his arms.

Later that day Frank felt terrible for the fact he had not read on in the article. That he had not been the one to learn of the Porters deaths first so that he might break the news gently to his wife. As it was, he had been so glad that they were soon to be out of danger that he had just been overjoyed. It had proven their son was not marked for death. And just as soon as the Death Eaters had been rounded up, they were going to be free he told himself.

But James and Lily, they were never going to be free, were they? The two of them had been young and brilliant. And now they were dead.

It seemed to him near impossible that people they had known so well and loved were dead. Death had been something which they had had to contend with now for quite some time. But that did not make it any easier.

"I don't want it to be true," said Alice as she clung on to her husband. She did not know how long they had been there on the floor.

Somehow that day time did not matter though, for a whole variety of reasons, many of which she could not make sense of.

"I know you don't sweetheart." It was the hardest thing in the world for them to accept in that moment.

But what made it all so much worst for both of them was that Sirius had been involved. Sirius had been the one who had lead Voldemort to James. When the two of them had been like brothers for so long before.

"Alice? Frank?" they heard a voice from fire place.

Rushing through to the living room, they saw the face of Albus Dumbledore looking out at them from the fire. He had a look on his face that said to them everything they were already feeling.

"So you have heard?" he said to them. "I meant to get here quicker so that I might be the one to tell you both, but events were out of my control. I am so sorry for you loss, Alice, Frank. I know you were close to the Potters."

"Is it true what they are saying, Albus? That it was Black who sold them out?" said Alice. Frank was shocked to hear his wife so readily call the man who they had thought to be there friends all the way through Hogwarts 'Black', as if he had never been anything to them. But he could only put it down to the fact she had been so passionately loyal to the Potters herself.

"I am sorry to say that appears to be the case."

_Appears to be_. Frank did not know why but even when he had been told by Dumbledore that Sirius had betrayed the Potters, he still found that he could not believe it. It simply did not ring true to his character.

His mind then cast back to the day when Sirius had been told that Lily and James were planning to name him godfather to their baby. He had been so happy, he had been overjoyed. There was no way on earth he would have...

He had considered the Potters nothing short of his own family and now they were told that he would kill them? That he would sell them out? No, they had got it wrong he thought to himself. They must have. It was the only possibility.

"How is Remus?" said Alice as she tried to emerge from the grief that was already taken over her. Not just for they Potters but for poor unfortunate Peter as well. What crime had he committed? Surely he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time? And what had the article said? That when Black had been taken away to Azkaban he had been laughing. He had just killed three people, He had separated a young family forever and he had laughed.

_All they had found of Peter was his finger._

She had thought none of this possible. The fact she had been near a Death Eater repulsed her. And worse than that he had been near her baby. Sirius had held Neville more than once. She felt as if she was going to be sick.

The mere thought made her wrench.

"He is as you can understand, I am sure, devastated by this."

"And Harry?" Alice asked in an even more panicked voice. So Lily had been right to ask her. Neither Sirius, she or her husband were now there. That meant one thing. "Albus, a few weeks ago when we were there, Lily made me swear to her that if there was no one else then me and Frank would take little Harry in. He has to come here, where is he?"

For the first time since she had heard the awful news, Alice felt as if she had a purpose in all this. And that was too raise Harry now he had precious few other friends in the world.

Of course, now he had been hailed as the Boy Who Lived then there were going to be hundreds of family's who would be willing to take him in and bring him up as if he was a prince. But that would not have been what Lily would have wanted for her boy.

No, she would have wanted him to be brought up as a normal lad where he was safe and loved, no matter what had happened.

And Frank and Alice were in a position where they would be able to offer that to him. They were going to give him that.

"I am sorry Alice. Harry has already been taken to Lily's sisters. It is best that he is not in this world." He said to her. He had hoped the fact the boy was with family was going to be a comfort to Alice but then again, not even he was ignorant to the fact Lily had had troubled relationship with her sister, to say the least.

As a close friend of the now deceased Mrs Potter, Alice was even better informed than he had been over the trouble that the two of them had had.

"Sir, please, that cannot be!"

"Professor, on this occasion I have to agree with Alice." Frank said in a voice that was thick with emotion.

"I am so sorry, but he is already there."

"Well then he can be brought back!" Alice yelled at him. It did not seem to matter at that moment who he was or if he was considered to be the greatest wizard of their age. He was going down in Alice's estimation. "You cannot ignore what Lily would have wanted for her baby, I am not going to let you!"

Alice felt as if what she was doing was the last thing she was going to be able to do for Lily and James as well. Even Peter. He had loved the little lad who would have in another world be brought up to call him uncle. He would have been devoted to the boy.

No, she was not going to let them down. That would just be beyond wrong. When they had been so brave...

She was more than grateful when she felt her husband squeeze her hand. She knew he was going to be with her on this one hundred percent, as he always was. She was so glad she had her Frank. He really was amazing at times.

"He is at the best place for him. There is a protection on that house that only Lily's blood could place on him. It is old magic. It is a blood tie."

"And what of love? Are you telling me he is going to see more of it where he is now than if he was with us here? If that is the case, then have to tell you, you're wrong." Alice insisted as she got up.

Knowing that she was going to be unforgivably rude soon if she was not careful, she left the room and gave her husband a look to tell him she had to get out of there. He nodded in understanding before he turned to the fire.

"Please sir, you have to consider us as parents for Harry. He is going to be loved and safe here. He is going to have a brother in Neville and we won't ever let him forget what his mother and father did for us and our world... if he is here then he is going to be raised to honour his mother and father which I do not think he would be if he is with his aunt and uncle," he said in his frustration. The thought Boy Who Lived should be raised in the muggle world made no sense to him.

He had not heard a lot but what he had heard about the Dursley's he did not like. In some ways he thought to himself, they were not a lot better than the Death Eaters. They were unwilling to try new things and they had rejected Lily because her magic too them was unfamiliar. Their ignorance was not blissful but hateful.

Harry had already begun to show signs of his magic. He was going to be a great wizard one day, of that Frank was in no doubt. He had to be raised in the wizarding world. He just _had_ to be.

"I will consider it Frank," said Dumbledore once he had paused to think on it for a moment. He could see how passionate Frank and Alice were in their wish to bring the boy up.

Frank was an excellent Auror. Maybe it would be best if Harry was with people that he knew. There was no doubt in his mind that the lad would be better loved if he was with the Longbottoms than he would have been if he was with the Dursleys, Alice was right. Frank would protect him well. Maybe he would be safe with them...

"That is all I ask professor."

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	5. Aftermath

**Chapter 5**

"Mama!" Neville cried from where he had been placed in his cot. He was able to see his mother but he was not in her arms and it was quite clear that the lad wanted a cuddle.

"Ok honey, just give me a minute," she said to him with a forced smile.

She had to admit in her worry she had got a little behind in the housework. And then when she had lost her friends and the wizarding world had begun to get itself back together...

Well, she had had a few more important things on her mind than whether her house was clean. Still it did not feel like a good enough excuse.

So she found herself in her sons room putting the clean baby grows away. She had to try and keep herself busy. She did not want to think too much on everything that had been going on.

She had to keep going.

However, with the funeral of her best friend looming over them the next day, she was bound to be a little distracted she thought to herself.

Still, her son also kept her busy. He was a buddle of joy.

God willing however she was going to have another little man in her house soon enough. Though Dumbledore had not yet said if she and Frank were going to be allowed to bring up Harry, she had to say her hopes had been raised. She so badly wanted to keep him with people he knew well.

She did not see Petunia and he husband fighting to keep the boy somehow though, which for her counted as a blessing. She hoped she wouldn't because if not then she knew she herself was not going to give up without a fight. She was not entirely sure how much strength she had left though. Part of her felt as if she had been fighting all her life.

"Right then, do you want up?" she said as she turned to her son, the last of his grows having been tucked away in his chest of draws.

"Mama!" he said as he reached to her.

When she was with her son, it was the only time it did not feel as if it was wrong to smile. She knew that in time she was not going to feel so raw when she thought of her friends. But that day had not yet come.

"Come here my sweetheart. Did you have a nice sleep?" she asked.

"Yea!"

"Good, because your gran is going to be here in a bit and she is going to want to see her favourite boy, isn't she?"

"Gra'!"

"Yeah she is going to come and see you!" Augusta when they had seen her in the past week, had just like everyone else, been in a wonderful mood.

In fact, she had just two days before taking her grandson and her daughter in law to Diagon Alley.

And Alice had hated it when they had been there. Everyone was smiling and they were laughing and they were hugging one another. Because if they did not know Lily and James, they forgot the fact two people barely in their twenties had died.

They did so as they toasted their son.

"Poor Harry."

"Go see Harry!" he said to her. He was missing his friend.

"Maybe soon my love," she said to him as she kissed him.

When they got down stairs she had found Augusta waiting for her, having already come through the fire.

"How are you today?" she asked as soon as she saw Alice.

"I am still a bit tired," she admitted. She knew to deny the truth would be fruitless.

"But better than you were when the two of us where in the alley," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Considerably. It was just upsetting to see everyone celebrating. I know that there is a lot more to celebrate and be thankful for the majority of people than there is to mourn but I just wish I had seen some sort of acknowledgment that it was not only Voldemort who had died that night." She said and she felt her blood bubbling once more.

"I know," said Augusta in a tone that suggested that she had not need that explain to her and she had been as understanding as she was ever going to be. She looked over her glasses at Alice. "You know you should not hold him so much of the time. That child is forever in your arms."

"That us because he liked to be cuddled and I like to cuddle him as well." She said with a sigh. She wished they did not have to have this argument today.

"Well, it is not good for him or for you." Her mother in law protested.

"On the contra, it is very good for us both." Alice said with a shrug. She knew what was right for the two of them.

When was the old woman going to figure out that she was going to mother her son her own way?

"I am only saying it because I care for you both. The war is over now Alice. Maybe it is time that you started to think about going back to work."

Alice shook her head. "I can't even _start_ thinking about that until the funeral is over."

"Well I was only saying..."

"I know what you are saying but I don't want to hear it. I am just not ready for it!"

The two stubborn women looked at one another. Neither was going to budge on this.

"Why don't I go and put the tea on?" said Alice as she defiantly kissed her sons head.

-

It was lucky that Frank arrived home when he did. He was still able smooth over the cracks between them and thus the next day when they went to the funeral, his mother still agreed to watch Neville, though he did not think his wife was that happy about leaving him with her. He wished they got along all the time rather than just some of it.

Alice had a black dress on and a warm coat. About her neck she had the necklace her husband had given her on their wedding day, but the pearls felt too heavy about her neck.

She knew everything was going to be ok in her heart. But it didn't feel like it to her mind

She apparated to the church with her Frank. "Please don't leave my side today," she said to him. She did not think she would be able to do it if he was not there with her.

"I am going to be here for the rest of lives. I will be here every day, every hour, every second." He said to her and pulled her close to kiss her forehead.

"That is all I want to hear," she nodded.

Then walking hand in hand they headed towards the building.

That was when she saw Remus for the first time that day. She recalled how tired he had looked at the meal but due to the days and the events that had passed, he looked as if he had aged a thousand years. And he had no one who was going to see him though it as she did.

He was the last of the true Marauders. And he knew that; he was a dying breed.

"Remus," she said as she approached him. He looked startled up at her but she was barely surprised when she saw how red rimmed his eyes were.

"Alice – I still can't – they're gone." He was a man who had been broken through no fault of his own. She knew what he was and she did not care. He seemed a lot more feeling to her than most full humans that day.

"Oh, I am so sorry."

"And he has already sent Harry away!" he said to her. Harry was all Remus had had left of his great friends. The world had to seem a confusing place to him in that moment.

"I know he has but we are going to get him back."

Frank wished he could have silenced Alice and she felt him stiffen at her side. The fact remained that they did not know if they were going to be able to get him. He did not want her to get Remus' hopes up if it was not going to be backed up with the result all of them wanted.

He was scarcely less eager than she was to get to his friends boy back though. He wished he could hold the child as he did his own son. With affection, and love, and the promise he was always going to be safe with him.

"You are?"

"Yes. We want to bring him up ourselves. Then he can have a brother in our Neville and the memory of Lily and James will be ever green in his mind." She said with a sad smile.

She was glowing when she spoke of bringing the boys up together noted her husband. Over the weeks since they had lost their friends she had given a lot of thought to what she was saying.

He hoped to god her dream could come true.

"I think everyone is getting ready to go in." Frank said as he nodded over to the church cutting off Remus' reply.

From where they were standing he was able to see Lily's parents. They looked as Remus did – as if there while world had crashed down about the two of them. They were drowning and they had no life raft.

He did not think he had ever seen a sadder sight.

But if he had thought it was hard to see the mourners gave to go in then he had found the service even worse.

When he had been young and he had gone to the funeral of his grandparents, he had been told not to be sad and that he should celebrate the life they had had rather than mourn the death. But somehow, where his friends had been so young, it didn't seem to work.

There was not a dry eye in the church by the time that the service had come to its end. Throughout words such as 'tragedy' had been used, but...

It was the last funeral of the war. And at times when he looked into the faces of those who had not been friends of Lily and James by who had just come to pay their respects, their faces seem to say, yes it was a tragedy. But it had been worth it.

And as much as he was angered by that, part of him knew that maybe in the long run Lily and James death had been a small price for the rest of the world to pay.

It just didn't feel like that right then.

Mrs Evans looked as if her entire world had come to an end and poor Mr Evans just looked confused. He had still not digested the news his daughter was dead, that was clear.

"I am going to go over and talk to them," said Alice to her husband. When she had been young she had spent a few summers with them when she had gone to Lily. To say nothing would be wrong, thought Alice.

Frank nodded and watched as she walked towards them. Her compassion was obvious that day.

"Mrs. Evans," Alice nodded respectfully as she arrived at the muggles side. "Can I just say how sorry I am about Lily and James?"

"Oh Alice dear," said Lily's mother as she drew the younger women into a warm embrace. "I am so sorry for you too; I know that you were a great friend of my daughters."

"I can't say how much I will miss her. Truly, she was such a joy to be about."

"Yes." Said Mr. Evans abruptly as if he was brought out of his thoughts by what she had said to them.

"I just want to say if you need anything then me and Frank will always be willing help you."

"Oh that is so kind. Especially when you must be so busy. Your little one is the same age as our Harry and Dudley are, isn't he?" Mrs Evans said with a pained look on her face. She had her child's goodness in her and cared for Alice despite her own great loss.

"Yes, he was born on the same day Harry was. Lily and I used to laugh about the two of them being twins."

"And he is well is he, your Neville?"

"He is in the best of health," she nodded, though she felt awful to say such a thing when she was well aware of the fact they had just lost their baby.

"Then you shall have to take him to my daughter Petunia's so that he might continue to see something of Harry. I am sure that the two of them were great friends in the time they were together."

"They were," Alice nodded as tears filled her eyes.

She wondered in that moment if it was a comfort for the grandmother to know her little grandson was at his aunts. If so was she really going to be able to take him away from there... But then she saw the passionate look her friend had had on her face when she had asked her to take Harry in.

She knew if she had to fight for the boy then she would.

-

"Do you think we are doing the right thing?"

Despite the resolution she had come to when she had been in the church she had had to ask Frank when they got home. She just had to hear that he was on the same wave length as she was. They had to be united on something so important.

Having just checked on his son, Frank came back into the kitchen to find his wife was pouring them a glass of wine each. It had been a long day and they both needed it. As well as checking on his boy, he had seen his mum out for the night and he was now looking forward to some down time with his Ally. She was what he needed.

He had taken off his tie when they got in, so his collar was open about his neck and he had chilled expression on his face. He was as glad as she was that they had got the day over.

"What is right to one man is always going to be wrong to another love, but yes I would say that we are. This is what Lily wanted." And that had to be what they were focusing on.

"I am going to have to keep telling myself that…." She said as she sighed. "I mean it is not as if we are going to cut Harry off from his family."

"Of course not." He said as he could see she was getting wound up. "But if we can, we are just going to raise him in the world he belongs in, surrounded by people who love him." he was sure that had to be right.

"I know but at the same time... Did you see Lily's Mum and Dad? They were shattered into a million different pieces Frank." She sighed.

He nodded. Grief was a harrowing sight whenever you saw it. But when you had seen that person smile or laugh before they had been consumed.

Well, it made it harder. Which was why it was so hard for Alice.

Getting up from where he had only just at down he went over to his wife and put his arms about her.

"Today was hard. But it can get better now. The worse is over Ally, I promise you that. And we still have one another. And we always will."

"It's time to start looking to the future isn't it?"

"Yeah... though I do not suppose for a second we are ever going to forget about Lily and James."

"Not for a day."

She nodded. He was right. Pulling him closer, she knew that even if what they had been through had at times hurt and made them both cry, theywere stronger because they had been through it.

She thanked god that she had him for a partner in life.

"Nothing is ever going to be as it was though…"

"No. But it doesn't mean thing are going to get worse and worse." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"I don't suppose so. We can get a bit of normality back to our lives now." she sighed again as she stepped back.

"Do you want to head back to work?" he asked.

As she picked up her wine glass as she pondered the question. It had been one her own mind had turned to more than once of late.

"I don't know," she said to him. She had got used to the fact she had been off indefinitely. "If I did then it would please your mother." She said with an indifferent shrug.

"I have to say I am more concerned about what is going to please my wife." Frank said as he reached over the table to take the hand that did not have the wine in it. He wanted her to know that the decisions was hers and hers alone and he was going to consent to whatever she said. If she wanted to go back then he was sure they were going to find a good nanny. But if she felt she had to go back when that was not what she wanted then he knew full well it was never going to work. All she would think about all day was there boy and if he was going to be ok.

"Do you remember how eager I was for a career when we got out of school?" she mused. She was not ambitious or power hungry but she had been determined she was going to work and have a little money of her own. She had always wanted them to be equals. She had thought before that they were only ever going to be that if they were _both_ bringing money home at the end of the week.

"You were more so than I was. I am hardly going to be able to forget that in a hurry…" he admitted. He had admired that about her that she was so hard working and determined to get on in life.

"But when we had Neville, Frank... everything changed for me. I love him so much. That little boy..." she shrugged. She knew he knew what she was saying and there was no point her trying to put it in to words because the fact was she could not.

"Your entirely life?"he said with a questioning eyebrow.

She nodded. "Precisely, and if we are going to have Harry as well..."

"Well you are in no hurry to get back?" he guessed. He had known that when she had not said she had wanted to go back straight away. Her hesitance had been a give away to her husband who knew his wife so well.

She shook her head. She was in no hurry at all. She did not know when she was going to be ready to go back to work but she knew she was not going to be ready for quite some time yet. Now she was a mother she wanted that to be her primary identity and she wanted to be home with her son. She did not see any shame in that.

"If I don't then are we going to be ok for money?" she asked. If they were going to struggle then of course she would put her own feelings aside. She had to check. Especially as with any luck they were soon going to have another mouth in the house to feed.

"Yes sweetheart, I can bring the bacon home." he shrugged.

"Then can I think about it for a bit, then when we know what is going on with the boys, I can decide." She nodded. But deep down they both knew that the decision was already made and had been the day that they had had Neville. Until he was at Hogwarts, Frank got the feeling his wife was going to want to be at home.

"Well that is going to be fine with me."

He had got used to being the only one who went out to work and he had liked it. Not because he had thought she was a 'little women'. No, he would never love her if she was submissive. The thing that the loved about Alice was that she was so wild. But Neville loved his mother so much. He loved it that they got so much time together. More than that, he needed her.

He sighed. Until they knew if they were going to have Harry though, it felt as if there life was on hold.

Everything hung on that it seemed.

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	6. Homeward Bound

**Chapter 6**

"I got an owl from Dumbledore today."

"Do you think it is about Harry?"

"I don't see what else it can be about..."

Frank had bound in with the news that day. As soon as his wife had seen him, she had got the familiar look of relief across her face.

It was quite apparent that while they were slowly beginning to move forward with their lives, the war they had just lived through had left marks on them that were not going to fade in a hurry.

"Did he give a lot away? Was there any induction of what he was going to say? When is the meeting going to be?"

"My love will you let me answer one question at a time."

She knew that she was getting excited and maybe she was only setting herself up for a fall. But if they did get Harry...

"No, he did not give much away at all. No indication at all and tomorrow night." He said as he took her hand.

"Not until tomorrow?" it seemed as if they next day was going to take an eternity to come. She was never going to be able to wait that long.

"I am afraid not." He sighed. He knew they were thinking the same thing,

It already felt as if they had been waiting so long for any news. But the waiting still went on.

"We have come this far my dear. One more night. That is all we have to get through now." he said as he put her arm about her.

"You're right. And tonight is going to pass soon enough." She said with a smile.

"That is my Alice right there." He nodded, shaking his head happily.

"Here I am baby," she smiled in agreement. "But I think I am going to go get in the bath. I am going to wind down – or try to anyway."

"Ok babe," he said as he walked over to her and took her face in his hands. "You know I love you darling."

"Yeah baby I know that," she said to him. "I love you too." She said as she pushed her lips to his. "I don't think I am ever going to get tired of kissing you, you know that sweetie?"

"That is what I hope."

He watched her walk out of the room with a blissful sigh. As ever he found that it was good to be home.

Since the end of the war, the Auror office had not slowed down. They were rounding up Death Eaters all of the time. Already they had brought the Malfoys in as well as the Lestranges.

He paused on the Malfoys. As far as he knew their son was the same age as his little Neville was. How could a man risk the opportunity to bring up their son? He did not know. The thought of separation from his son was still haunting him.

It would be his idea on hell on earth, he thought as he rubbed his face and tried to banish the thought to a corner of his mind.

He was tired. He'd go up to bed.

On the way up the stairs it struck him that he could not hear the water running in the bathroom but then neither was his wife in their bedroom.

"Sweetheart," he whispered.

"In here," her distracted voice said. Going into his son's room he saw that Alice was in the rocking chair and she had picked her baby up. She had him in her arms and she was just looking; just watching him.

"Changed your mind about the bath?"

"No. It just struck me how beautiful he is when he is asleep." Alice said and she looked up at her husband. She had tears in her eyes. "It kills me that Lily is never going to get to do this again. Do you think she ever just got to hold Harry this? Without being scared and looking over their shoulders?"

"I don't know my love. I hope that they did." He said as he knelt in front over his wife and child. His hand rested gently on his sons head. His hair was so soft.

"It so easily could have been us." She shrugged. That still scared her. If Neville had been the one who had been marked....

"Yes. I agree with you. Easily, it could have been the two of us." He agreed with her and he felt his own stinging eyes. "It could have been the three of us. But at the end of the day, it wasn't us Alice, was it? And I am too selfish to say I wish it had been the other way round because I don't. I want to see him grow tall, pass out of Hogwarts and fall in love. I want life Ally. I can't ... I miss Lily and James already but..."

"I know baby. You don't have to explain it. I feel the same."

He sat up on his knees so that their foreheads were touching. With tears trickling down their faces, they stayed there for quite some time and only stopped when their son woke up bawling his eyes out and needing comfort himself.

-

"I wish I knew how today is going to turn out."

"I know."

Alice and Frank held hands as they walked up the Hogwarts hall. Poor Neville had once more been left in the case of his grandmother as they went to the school they had attended for the first time a decade before hand.

So many times before had their fingers been interlocked as they had walked up the historic corridors side by side.

She knew what she was hoping for, of course. But then she saw the look on the face of Lily's parents when they had been at their child's funeral and they had seemed to take comfort in the fact that their grandsons had been together. She had questioned whether...

But then the fact she had not seen Lily's sisters there at the funeral said a lot surely. She was bringing up their son and she had not even been bothered to go and pay her lasts respects.

No. Harry would be best with them.

They were doing the right thing and all she had to do to reassure her of that fact was think of the look her best friend had had in her eyes when she had asked her to take the boy. It had been Alice she had gone to when he had been in trouble. Not her mother, nor her sister.

And now she had to fulfil the promise she had made. And she would do it. She would.

Before they knew it they were at the gargoyle that marked the entrance to the office. It felt as if the fate of their family was being decided.

Yet Alice took comfort it the fact no matter what she was still going to have Frank and Neville. No one could take them from her. Not now.

But she prayed she would also have Harry.

"Help me Lily." She whispered to the air. Frank squeezed her hand.

Lily and James were going to help the both of them.

Frank knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Neither Frank nor Alice needed to be told twice. They stepped in to the beautiful office of the headmasters and suddenly both felt as if they were still students. No matter that they had been fighting at Albus's side for the best part couple of years, as soon as they got into the office, they felt as if they were students again.

Alice held her husband's hand tighter.

"Good day, Alice, Frank, how are you?" Said Albus as he looked at them. As ever, he had his half moon spectacles on and somehow, to Alice's eye since the war had ended he begun to looked younger again, more relaxed.

"I'm ok," said Alice with a gentle nod of her head.

"And Frank?"

"Busy." He replied.

"Yes, as I understand it, things have not yet calmed down at the ministry have they?

"Not quite sir, there is still a lot of cleaning up to be down. But we are getting there. Though, the department has lost two of the best Aurors it ever saw." He felt his wife's eyes on him. "It does not matter whether he was a traitor or not, no one could deny that at the time he was true and he was doing it, Sirius Black was brilliant at his job."

Sirius was one of the things that was still playing on his mind. He did not understand it no matter how hard he tried too. He did not think he was ever going to understand it, what Black had done.

"No, I suppose you are right Frank, he was very good at what he did."

He was looking at the young man in the most curious way and he knew his wife was too. Sirius was the only thing he had not talked to her about.

"Sir, I know it is a long shot but is there no way they might have got the wrong man. I know it sounds mad, and that Sirius was the Secret Keeper. And I know he killed those muggles. But it is not sitting right with me."

"Honey we are not here to talk about Sirius Black." Said Alice to him holding his hands and looking at him with concern. It was as if he had had verbal vomit. But Alice was not quite sure that every word her husband was saying that mans defence was not a nail in the coffin of their chance of getting Harry.

Had it been anyone else maybe Albus would have questioned there motive for saying what he was, but it was a well known fact that Frank could be nothing but straight as a die.

"I know we aren't." Maybe it had been the wrong time and place to do so. But while they had been there he had felt he had to protest the man's innocence. "We are here to talk about Harry," he said as he got the meeting off on a foot that was more pleasing to his wife and straightened back up.

"Yes we are." The headmaster nodded.

"And have you come to a decision sir?"

"Yes I have..." it had not been an easy one for Albus Dumbledore to make. When he had dropped the boy off with his aunt and uncle he had been sure he was doing the right thing. But when he had gone to the funeral, and when he had seen Remus, Alice and Frank.

He had been changed, his mind had been chaned. And somehow he had known then he was unable to deny the last wish of a young mother.

"I have to say I am now in agreement with you. Perhaps you would be the best people to bring up Harry. You were good friends of his parents and you are brilliant parent to your own son. I want you to know I did not come to this decision lightly!"

Indeed he had had to make the choice between putting the boy where he knew he was going to be happy or to keep the blood connection between him and his mother strong.

He had too'd and fro'd many nights. But then he had decided in favour of the lad's happiness.

Not only because he knew it was what his parents would have wanted door him but he knew the lad was always going to be safe when he was with the Longbottoms. They would safe guard him with their very life, he was sure of it.

"But now I have come to it and I find that I am in agreement with the two of you. Harry should be raised in your house."

What she felt after she heard the news for the first time was a surprise to Alice. It was not really joy; just pure relief. Relief that she had fulfilled _her_ wish. Relief that the baby who she had known since he was born was coming back to the world he belonged too.

And relief he would not grow up as a muggle.

As laughter filled the room, it took a while for her to realise it was her own.

"Harry is going to come home with us."

"Just as soon as we go and fetch him. Tonight." Dumbledore nodded.

He was coming home to them. No matter what they had been through of late the only thing that mattered was he was heading home with them soon.

Harry was, at last, homeward bound.

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	7. Family Ties

**Chapter 7**

Time seemed to go slowly for the rest of the day. As soon as she had heard the news Alice had wanted to go and get her little nephew but Dumbledore had insisted that they were going to have to wait until night fall.

Apparently it was only fair on the muggles.

All she really cared about though was what was fair on Harry.

Frank and Alice had time to go home before they went to get him. Alice took great delight in telling her son that he was soon going to have company in the nursery.

"Harry is going to come and stay with you mamma and dad. Would you like that sweetheart?" she cooed to Neville and he clapped his little baby hands as if he understood what she was saying to him.

Walking down the stairs with her son in her arms she found her husband was in the living room.

"Your very quiet." She observed. He was not even sat down. He looked as if he was very tense actually.

"Am I?"

"Is this about what you said in the office." She questioned. She knew him.

He nodded. He had a sadden look on his face.

"Baby, I know it is hard for you to understand but what other explanation is there? Sirius must have done those things..." she shrugged. She wished there was another way but if there was she didn't see it. The dead bodies had said it all hadn't they?

"I know - you right there is no other explanation but Alice – I just feel as if they have got the wrong man." He shrugged. He knew if she said it to anyone else then they were going to think he was mad. But what else could he do? He had to let it out.

"That is because Sirius it seemed was a very good liar. Don't beat yourself up baby he had us all fooled." She told him. She sat by him and put her hands on about his shoulder.

He nodded as she caressed his cheek and kissed her palm.

"Your right Ally, of course you are right. And beside today is not about Black. It's about us and Harry coming home to us." he said with a smile. He was going to be so happy to see him.

"You know for a minute really thought we were never going to be able to keep him." said Alice as she let her husband draw her thin body in to his arms.

"Yeah I know. I really did not think he was going to change his mind either." Said Frank astonished still.

"But he did. And now that little man is coming back where he belongs."

"Yes he is."

Frank again pushed his lips to those of his wife. Their family was growing and if he had his way then it was going to get bigger still.

-

In the end it was only Frank who went to get Harry. After leaving Neville with his Gran so much of late Alice decided to stay back and have a little down time. As much as she was looking forward to having Harry with them she was unable to image how it would feel, looking after another women's child.

Dividing her time between the boys.

But then this was Lily's child.

No, she told herself. It was going to be fine. They were going to be fine. She would split her time between the two fairly. She would be the best mum to them both that she was able to be. They were not going to do favourites in there family.

The boys would be raised as equal. Equally doted upon. Equally loved. Equally in every way.

Frank left when darkness had fallen and once he had helped bath their son. He was going to have to get used to sharing his parents. She was not sure if he was going to like it but it was now a fact of her little guy's life. It was not all about him anymore.

"He is going to be fine. And so are we." Said Frank as he kissed wife before leaving for Little Whinging. He wanted to be there and back as fast as he was able to be.

"Do they know that you are coming?" she said as an afterthought as he made for the door. And she followed him hot on his tale.

"Who knows with Dumbledore," he shrugged before bounding down the stairs, determined to bring the boy home with him. He had to get him back in the world that he sop belonged too. It would not do to let the lad be brought up in the muggle world. Especially when that was against the wishes of his mother.

-

The night seemed dark and cold, yet the cloudless sky seemed to bode well for Frank. He did not know why but he felt as if there was a hopeful edge to the sky in those moments. He knew it was a silly thing to think but that was how it felt. As if it had been waiting for him to come and get Harry.

"Nicely on time," said Dumbledore, as they met. He had arranged to meet with the younger wizard in Pivert drive. He had a smile on his face. How are you tonight Frank?"

"Thank you sir," said the younger wizard with a respectful nod. "I am very well. Number four isn't it?"

The eagerness he felt to get to the boy he was taking in as a surrogate son could not .underestimated. He wanted to get him home where he was going to belong for now on. Dumbledore could see this in everything about him.

"Yes it is." Dumbledore nodded. He had to say he did approve that Frank and his wife were so clearly devoted to their friend's son. It would have been so much worse for the l_ittle lad if he had been left with no one. _

"Are we expected?" he repeated the question his wife had asked him before he had left their home.

"Yes we are. I sent an owl ahead to tell he sister that we are going to be collecting the boy." he nodded. He had known, had he not, that Lily's sister would have been unprepared and be rather disturbed by their visit had she not known they were coming.

Frank did not suppose they were going to be too cut over the loss of their nephew. His wife had not been the only one to notice they had not been at the funeral.

But then in a few hours he was not going to have to think about that woman. She was going to be out of their lives for good.

"Shall we?" said the professor as pointed to the door and Frank nodded.

He knew the sooner he got back the better it was going to be for all of them. As much as she adored time with their boy he knew full well that not knowing what was going on was going to be doing Alice's head in.

Even the walk up to the door seemed to talk longer than it normal would. Ever since they had found out that they were getting Harry time had been dragging.

Yet he had no doubt in his head that when they got Harry home time was going to go far too quickly. And before they knew it there boys were going to be grown.

Dumbledore knocked on the door.

The door opened freakishly quickly though. After the dragging time for something to happen so quickly was a shock.

At the door was a beefy man, with a purple face and very little neck, to Franks eyes this muggle looked desperately unpleasant.

"Are you here to collect the boy?"

"I am."

"You had better come in then," he said. Frank swallowed and felt as Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder to put him at his ease. But in a house such as the one he was going into, he did not think he was ever going to b=be at ease.

He was guided through to the living room where he found the lad in the arms of his aunt. She had a hard look on her face but there was something about her eyes that perhaps suggested to Frank that she was not as sure as her husband clearly was about giving the little lad up.

No matter. Dumbledore had made his mind up that they were who Harry was best of with. And that was where he was going to be.

"Who are you?" said the blonde woman as she held on to the baby. Frank wondered what she was thinking; if it hurt her to give up the last part of her sister.

But did she seriously care? Her absence at the church still throbbed at him for Lily's sake if not Harry's.

"My name is Frank Longbottom." At his name the man who had opened the door sniggered. He raised his voice. "I was a friend of James and Lily's when they were at school."

"And you knew my sister and her husband well?" she quizzed.

"Yes I did. I shared a dorm with James for seven years and I was a class mate of Lily's. My wife Alice was her best friend."

"Yes I know. I met her when she was with my parents for the summer."

"We have a small son ourselves. So far he and Harry have been raised together."

"I have a son as well." She murmured as she held her nephew close to her.

"You knew we were coming Petunia," cut in Dumbledore

"Yes I did. But if you were just going to take him away from me as soon as you gave him to us, why send him to us at all?" she said it as if it hurt her.

"Petunia." Her husband said from where he was standing in the corner. It was clear he at least could not wait to be rid of the boy.

"I know Vernon, I know." She said as she looked in to her nephew's eyes. "He is going to be so like his mother when he is older, is he not?" she mused.

"Yes he is Petunia. He is going to be a freak!"

Frank had had quite enough. "I am so sorry but my wife is waiting up for us and I don't want to be late."

"Of course," she nodded as she kissed Harry forehead. "God bless you." She whispered.

Then she did the hardest thing she had ever had to do. Later in life Petunia Dursley would look back on that moment as the last time of many that she had let down her sister. And she would regret it forever.

"Ank!" said Harry as he reached out for the man he had seen so often before.

"He knows you," Petunia gasped softly.

"As I said, when his parents were alive, we spent a lot of time together. This little man has known me since he was two hour cold. Haven't you?" he cooed as he kissed him. He did not realise how much he had missed him till he had seen him again. Frank sighed with relief when he had him back in his arms. "I do love you little man," he quietly told him. "Oh yes I do."

"' Ice, Nev?" the little one asked.

"Yeah you are going to see your auntie Alice and Neville. And you are going to stay with us. And it is all going to be ok, it's all going to fine now kiddo." he said as he kissed him once more, reassuring the lad that things really were going to be well.

"I am sorry to have to ha e disturbed you," said Dumbledore. "We will be going now."

"Thank you," said Frank as he titled his head and looked at Harry's aunt.

He was suddenly wondering if it had been her choice not to go to her sister's funeral.

-

"Frank, honey is that you?" asked Alice from the stairs. She had been straining her ears ever since he had left, even when she had known it was much too early to expect them she had been waiting.

"Yeah it is. The _two_ of us are back."

Alice could have squealed through delight when she had heard that,

"Oh how is he?" she said as she rushed down to meet them.

"He is a tired little man."

She walked in and she was radiating joy. As soon as she saw the little boy in his arms again she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her heart for the first time since she had heard Lily had died.

"Oh I missed him!" Frank shhh'd her.

"He is sleeping," he said.

"Well then we had better get him up to Neville's room." She had transfigured another crib the same as her sons into the room so that they might sleep side by side.

"I know that they are not going to be able to share a room forever and they are going to need their own rooms, but I thought to start off with it is going to be good for them to get used to being together."

"I am sure that they are going to be fine together. They are going to be the best of friends."

She put her hand on his head and kissed his forehead. "Welcome home, Harry." She whispered to him gently. *You're safe now baby."

_Please Review!_


	8. A First and A Friend

**Chapter 8**

The first few weeks after they had brought Harry home it felt as if they had had weeks after they had brought Neville home. It was busy, it was difficult and it was hard.

But it was worth it.

Alice had proved herself right though; found she was able to juggle her time between the lads.

But two children took up_ so_ much time as well as a lot of her energy.

Meals took twice as long. Bath time took twice as long. Both needed feeding at the same time.

"I mean I knew it was going to be busy and I was ready for it," said Alice to her husband as they ate dinner, both with a little lad on their knees.

"I can try and get more time off if you want me to be about some more."

He had to say, now that the majority of the Death Eaters had been rounded up– well he did not find his job boring by any means. But he had had enough field work. He wasn't sure he wanted to be an Auror. No matter how good he was at it, he had to consider the fact that he did have three mouths depending on him.

"No, love, I am enjoying it really. I just wish there were a few more hours in the day that is all," she said. She wished that she could take care of the kids and that the two of them still got a bit of time together. "Is everything ok?" she checked. He had been rather pensive that night.

"Just work on my mind love is all." He shrugged. "How was Harry today?"

"He is still asking after his m-u-m-m-y and his d-a-d-d-y , but I think he is beginning to understand that he is stuck with us," she shrugged.

It was so sad, and she hated it when he asked where his mamma and dada were. After all he could see Neville still had his. So where were Harry's?

The fact was there was no way a one year old could grasp the concept of death. So all they were able to do was hold the boy when he cried and promise themselves that they were going to explain everything just as soon as he was going to be able to understand. And of course when he started asking questions they were going to answer them to the best of their ability too.

"I wish there was some way we could tell him."

"There will be in the future, but for now all we can do is make sure he knows we are here for him and that we are going nowhere."

"I think he knows that sweetie."

"I hope so."

She nodded as she chewed the bit of food she had just put in her mouth. How long had it been since they had all been at Hogwarts together? It felt as if it had been a life time.

"I got a letter from Remus. He wants to come over and see Harry now we have him. I said he could come over whenever he wants. He looked so awful at the funeral Frank. I wish there was something we could do for him."

"I think he is going to be much better when he begins to see Harry again. He must miss him."

"No doubt," Alice agreed. "I think he is missing a lot of people. I feel as if poor Remus has somehow lost more than any of the rest of us have in this war." She mused. "I was thinking over what you said about Sirius," She said to him.

"Paddy," Harry said miserably from Franks lap.

Padfoot was the name he associated with Sirius, his beloved godfather. Of course.

And after she had been so careful about saying mummy and daddy.

"Want Paddy!"

As much as he had affection for the Longbottom's, Sirius had spent so much more time with Harry than they had. He did not know his godfather was viewed as a traitor by the majority of the wizarding world.

"I know you do matebut for now you are just going to have to make do with your uncle Frank," the man whispered tenderly.

He did not quite know yet how they were going to get Harry through his grief but they were going to find a way. And they were going to come out of it as a strong family.

Together.

-

Since the end of the war and the time they had had both the boys, Alice and Frank had decided it was best to try and leave there son in his crib. To take one of the boys into bed with them all night and leave the other out felt wrong and with four body's in the bed they just got to hot.

And not only that....

"I feel as if this is the only time I get you to myself." Said Frank as he kissed Alice's head. She had curled up against his chest and was now utterly relaxed which would have been impossible for her to do just a few months before hand.

"That is because this is the _only_ time we do get to ourselves," he said. "Between the lads and work we barely get to see one another each day." He sighed.

"Do you reckon this is what everyone meant when they were talking about the so called real world?"

"I would say that is a pretty good bet." He sighed making her giggle.

"The Hogwarts days were so easy compared to this. I would love to go back, just for a day." She sighed. She wondered how she would feel to go back to the dorm room and to the class room when her biggest worry was when the next essay was going to be. One thing was for sure – that time had been a world away from the life she was living now.

"Only the day?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Of course. If I was gone any longer then I would miss you three boys too much." She said happily. She had been speaking from the heart. She knew she would not bear to be away from them. "My boys."

"Would you now?"

His hands found their way round her body and she giggled as he tickled her.

"Frank, we are going to wake –"

Before she had even said it there was a cry from the next room.

"Don't say I told you so." he sighed as he got up from their bed and pulled on her dressing gown.

"But I did." She smirked.

"Alice Longbottom¸ you are a very bad women." He growled. Even when she was teasing him she looked so sweet, he thought to himself. He did not think huge was ever going to tired her. He even loved the dimples in her cheeks. She was so adorable.

"Oh yes. Now go on before he wakes Harry up." She knew the boy cries apart already. She ran a hand through her hair.

He shook his head and left there room. In a few footsteps he was across the hall.

"Oh Nev, shh mate. Daddy is here. You are determined not to let me and your mummy get any alone time aren't you?"

-

The days were pushing on for the end of November. A cool morning had dawned, and there were not too many clouds in the sky. It was quite a nice day really. It had rained over night and now the day had dawned it seemed brighter for it.

"I wrote to Remus and I told him he could come over tonight, if he was free," said Alice the next day over breakfast.

"I think that is going to be a good thing for the two of them. Harry is missing Remus too."

"Well let's just hope he is looking better than he was when we were at the funeral."

"He had just lost the people he thought of as his family. He had a terrible shock. I don't know honey, but I just think it is going to be a while until he gets over this."

"I know but still the funeral was just a few days after –" he broke off. "I was hoping he was just beginning to recover now."

"This is a weeks and months things, not days. Maybe years. You have to remember that we have the kids so we have a lot more to keep going for than he does." She reminded him. "When he gets back in contact with Harry he is going to have a lot more to go on for. And I know he is never going to really stop missing them."

"True, but it is all going to come right in the end," said Frank... since the fall of the Dark Lord, Alice had noted he had a new attitude to life. It was as if he wanted to live every say as if it was there last.

She supposed that was what the war had taught them.

But in a weird and paradoxically way he was more causation than he had been before. Maybe it was because he was more a man than a boy now but he took his responsibility to heart and he was determined not to take unnecessary risks either. He had a family waiting for him when he got home at night.

One she got the feeling he wanted to grow even more soon.

And she had to say when she had the boys even though she was busy, her thoughts had turned that way too. She could not get the thought out her head there family was missing a little girl with her daddy's eyes.

"Are you going to be off this weekend?" she checked.

"Yes I am."

"Good. I need you to watch the lads while I go to the shops. They have both been very good this year so I have a feeling Santa is going to spoil them both rotten," She smiled. She was looking forward to going Christmas shopping for the boys. She could pick out presents for them both all day providing that there bank balance could take it.

"And me too. I have been good." He husband said to her.

"No, you have been very bad. I don't think he is going to get anything," she shook her head.

"Yeah well then I guess that makes two of us," he shrugged as he drained the last of his coffee.

"No, I was _very_ good," she giggled.

"Yeah ok, of course you were..." he laughed.

"I was!"

He got up. "Ok I am going to head in or I am going to be labelled a bad boy for being late." He said.

"Ok sweetie. Have a good day," she smiled.

"I will," he said as he walked round the table and kissed her cheek.

"Ok boys, I am off to work now," he said as he walked into the living room where he found the boys were already playing.

Harry walked straight up to him and put him skinny little arms about his leg. "Ank go 'ork?"

"Yeah little man, I am going off to work," he said. He picked the boy up and kissed him, embracing him before turning to his son.

"Right come here and give your daddy a cuddle. Come here my boy!" slowly but surely he was seeing his son begin to develop. Standing by the door with Harry at his feet hey smiled at his son.

Neville was so close to walking he was sure. Neville got a look in his eyes.

He had begun sitting by the chair. He nodded at his father as if he knew what his father wanted him to do.

He pulled himself up on to the arm.

"Ally you have to come and see this." he called to his wife gently. He did not want to alarm his son or cause him to lose his concentration but each and every day they were just that bit closer to the day that their son did take his first steps. Alice would be devastated if she were to miss them.

He did not know why but he just knew that that was going to be there day. He knew he was going to do it.

Alice came into the room and she was about to ask what had been going on when she saw their baby.

Picking up Harry in her arms she saw that he was also looking intently at Neville. He really had fitted in to their family like a dream.

"Go on boy!" said Frank.

Neville had in the mean time pulled himself up by the arm of the chair, observed by those who loved him most.

"Come on little man. Come to daddy."

For a moment he got a knot in his stomach. He did not mean to upset Harry with the 'D' word and he turned to look on him, but he did not make a peep. He was still watching his 'brother.'

Neville first took one hand off of the chair and then the other.

He was nervous that was clear but he then took his other hand off of the chair.

He was standing on his own two feet. And he was by himself.

Alice blinked back her tears. She did not know why but she felt an over whelming sense of pride when. And that was making her emotional.

_Go on Neville.... go on Neville..._

And then he did it. For the first time in his life he put one foot in front of the other and he walked.

He was walking.

He had taken his time and he had done it months after Harry. He was seventeen months old, and at last Alice's little boy was walking.

And then she understood what Frank had been saying. Everything was indeed going to come about for them and it was going to be ok.

That set the day off to a good start. Alice went about with a smile on her face despite the fact she wished sadly that she was able to write to Lily and tell her what had happened.

She had a quiet morning in with the boys in which she spent the morning trying to encourage her son to walk as much as she could. He enjoyed being on his feet.

She was so proud of him. Her little one...

After lunch she let the boys out of there high chairs and had just been about to sit down on the sofa when the fire burst in to flames.

"Alice, is it ok I if come through?" a shy face said.

"Oh, of course Remus." she said with a big smile. "come here you two boys," Alice called. She did not want them to be burned.

The boys were soon on her knees and waiting for him to come through with her.

When he stepped out the fire, she was pleased to see that he had at least got a little of his colour back. He still looked thin but his appearance had improved, despite the shabbiness of his robe.

All in all though she was more than happy to welcome him to her home. She knew that he needed this.

"Remus it is so good to see you," she said with a smile on her face and launched herself into his arms. She had been worried that he was going to bury himself to deep in his grief that he was not going to come.

But to her great joy, there he was.

"I thank you for the invite Alice." he said with a touch more formability than was needed as he patted her back. But then she supposed he had been on his own for a while.

"Remus Lupin," she said with a teasing note in her voice. "There is no such need for you to stand on ceremony; you know that Frank and I won't have it in this house. Old friend, I am just so glad to see you." She said as she kissed his cheek. "It is so good to see you."

If in life, Lily had been blessed with kindness then surely so had Alice. She was so sweet he could not help but think as he gratefully held on to her.

It had been a while since he had been so close to another human.

"Alice, I am so happy to see you. When your letter came..." Well, he had been delighted. "I cannot tell you how relieved I was to get it."

"Remus it makes me so happy to hear you say that. Though you must know that I am not the only one who has missed you." She said as she turned to Harry who was looking up at the man as if trying to figure put where to place him and then...

"'Oony!"

"Oh there is the little man," said Remus enthusiastically though Alice was sure he had at least half an eye on the lad since he had come into the room.

Harry represented to him another world now. A time when he had had friends and he had not been alone in the world.

If it had not been for the little boy he was sure that he would have thought that it had all been a wonderful dream that he had imagined.

But as it stood, it had not been a dream. It had been real. Harry was looking up at him with his mothers green eyes.

Lily had lived.

James had lived.

Peter had lived.

They had been real to him.

But now he had to face up to the fact that he lived. And because Harry lived on that was so much easier.

His eyes also feel on the little blond who was also smiling up sat him.

"They both look very well." He said with a so me what choked voice.

"They are. Now why don't I get us some chocolate and some tea and we can have a chat?" she said with a big smile on her face knowing that would be the easiest way to calm him.

"Thank you, Alice, I would like that."

She smiled sadly as she got up and left the room. She knew that he was one of those people who did not like to wear their heart of their sleeves and she got the feeling that he would like a moment to compose himself.

She really did admire him. He was such a courageous man to have gone through what he had and still wanted to be good. She knew there had been so many people who had been in the situation he had found himself in would not be able to help but go off of the rails.

But he had kept on the straight and narrow. He was so strong. Effortlessly so it seemed to her.

"Do you have milk and sugar Remus?" she called through from the kitchen.

"Milk and two thanks," a delighted Remus called back.

As she got the milk from the fridge she could not help but pop her head round the door to find Remus had already crouched down with the boys and was playing with the two of them as if they had never been apart. The lads were crawling all over him.

And it warmed her heart.

"He took his first steps today." She said as she nodded to her son once she had made there drinks. She thought she had been quite restrained not to tell him as soon as he came through the door.

"Did he?" said Remus as he turned and smiled at Neville. "I bet you are making your mummy and daddy prouder every day." He said to the lad who grinned as if he knew every words which had just been said to him before he sent a smile in his mother direction.

"He has his father's charm that is for sure," she giggled as she winked at her son with affection. "And yes we are proud of him. Of both of them." she nodded

He sighed. He had to say he was glad to hear that. He was even happier now that he had seen Harry was settled. When he had heard that Harry was going to the Longbottom's after all, he had bit been able to keep the smile off of his face.

Who better to raise him?

"You have to know though Remus, me and Frank have no intention of ever letting him forget is mummy and daddy. He is going to know where he came from and just how wonderful his parents are." She said quietly though with everyday that passed Harry did not seemed to be so bothered by 'mummy' and 'daddy'. He was certainly not as upset by it as he had been.

Because Remus was the last of the Marauders, in an odd way she felt as if she had to justify herself to him. She wanted his approval. She wanted him to know that they were going to do right by Harry for as long as he needed them, and then a little longer too.

"I know the two of you are, that was why I was so happy when I heard that you had him. I can't think of another set of people that Lily and James would have rather seen him with."

He had seen them with Neville and he knew how good they were at being mum and dad.

No he had no worries for Harry. He was in the best place.

"You know that coming from you that means a hell of a lot to me and it would do to Frank as well if he were here." She said to him.

He was he nearest thing she was going to get to James and he knew that.

He gave a rather coy nod and carried on watching the two boys who were now playing together on the floor.

"And you know that if the two of you ever need a night off and want someone to watch these pair of rascals, I will be only too glad to do it."

He knew that he was going to be in both the lads life as soon as he had got the letter she had written to him.

If they were being raised as brothers then he had to be there for Neville as well as for Harry and he was only too happy to do that. He knew that Neville was a good kid and it was only down to his parents that, were wolf extraordinary he thought bitterly, was going to be able to be part of Harry's life. Besides, he was as determined as Alice to treat them fairly.

When he had thought the lad was going to be raised by muggles he had in fact been in despair. It was not that he did not trust Dumbledore. No, he truly did. But the thought he was not going to get to see him till he was eleven. It was too long for him not to be in Harry's life...

"Oh I am glad to hear it!" she said with a smile.

"I am guessing you and Frank have not got to see a lot of one another lately."

She remembered when her husband had said that to her when they had been in bed....

It was weird to think she did not get to see a lot of him when they were living in the same house. But she did not think that would be the way she would phrase it. After all, she did get to see him. She got to see him when the two of them were eating breakfast, and she got to see him when they had put the kids to bed.

But no it wasn't the quality time they had got together when they had been dating or when they had been newlyweds.

But then that was the price they had pay when they had had Neville and they had taken in Harry. They knew that there life was going to change and that they were going to have to put other people before there romance.

They would never have been teenagers forever though.

And quite frankly it had been worth the price.

In fact losing time together was a very small price to pay when they got the boys in return.

"I don't think it is that we don't get to see a lot of one another, it is just that what we do when we aretogether now is different from what we had done together when we were young. We have the kids now. We have had to change our priorities." She shrugged.

That made sense he guessed as he nodded.

There world was different to what it had been when they were all kids; they knew that.

When he saw his friends with children though, he thought they seemed so much older than he was when in actually fact they were the same age.

It was just to see them do the whole family thing...

It had been the same with Lily and James. It just really hit him. They were adults now.

"I guess that makes sense," as he drunk his cup of tea. "Do you know what Alice? I don't think I have felt this much at home in a longer time."

She nodded and her eyes looked lovingly at the boys.

"Neither have I."

_Please review!_


	9. Pressure

**Chapter 9**

Augusta had faith in her son's judgement a lot of the time, but at others she felt that he and his young wife did make foolish choices. That had to be the nature of youth surely? The thought they knew everything.

When they had akll been in the Order, she had found out that Lupin was a werewolf.

And it was for that reason she felt that he should be nowhere near her son or Harry Potter, who she was simply delighted was in her families care.

She felt a great deal of pride that they had been entrusted with the lad.

But to risk in by leaving them with a werewolf....

She was not so sure that was a wise idea. In fact, she was sure it was not if anything.

And she knew she was going to get no thanks for it but when she had heard that they were letting him in to his life she had felt he had to say something. She could not just leave it... that would be wrong...

The Sunday after Remus had been over, and the day after Alice had gone out on her shopping trip for the boys Augusta had been invited over for lunch.

As the five of them were sitting about the table, she felt it was the right time to make her opinion known.

"So I heard that Remus came over the other day to see you and the boys."

"Yes he did," said Alice as she looked at her husband as if she knew what was coming. And indeed she did.

"Do you really think that is such a good idea my dear?" she did not think herself a bigot. She had nothing against the boy. She knew he was kind enough. But if it ever got out what he was and people knew that the family who were raising the Boy Who Lived had let that sort of person near Harry... And then there was Neville. She was not sure she wanted him near her grandson. "Considering what he is?"

At least... she had never thought herself a bigot until then.

"Yes I do," said Alice as she tried to keep the tone light though Frank could see that her blood was boiling at the mere suggestion he should not be about their boys.

"It is good for Harry to be near someone who knew his father as well, as Remus did," she said as a way of justification. "Augusta we intend to tell the boy all about his mother and his father but there is so much we do not know that he does. And if you had not noticed, _mother dear_, he has lost all the friends he had. We are all he has left and to deprive him of Harry would be wrong. And vice versa. We know what you are saying, but we have made our minds up. We will be careful and it is going to be fine."

Frank looked at Alice and he had to say he did not know whether to be shocked or not. He agreed with every word she had said, of course he had, but they both knew for his mother what she had said had been positively gentle. He had to say he had thought his wife had snapped a little.

She looked away from him. There was no way she was going to say sorry for what she had said.

-

"I just think that you were a bit harsh on her."

"Frank, did you hear what she was saying? That we should keep Remus away from the boys just because of what he is. It is ridicules." She said as she shook her head.

"Darling, I am not saying what she said was not wrong. I agreed with everything that you said to her but did you have to say it so strongly." he asked her.

"Yes I did when she is interfering with the way I am bringing the kids up. I am sorry Frank but gone are the days when I said yes Augusta, no Augusta, three bags bloody full Augusta!" she saw a hurt look in his eyes. She knew he was close to his mum and that she hated it when they did not get on.

And it was not her intention to hurt him. She just felt some time as if her mother in law thought she did not know what she was doing when she did.

"I did not mean to be so harsh my love." She said as she went over to him and put her arms about him. She wished there was a way he could understand what she was feeling.

But then maybe he did and he was just a lot better at covering it than she was.

Frank responded to her touch with mutual affection as he always did, holding on to her. "I am sorry honey." She said to him. "I did not mean to have a go at you."

He smiled. She had made it clear she was not saying sorry for what she had said to her mother. And he could hear the Potters in his head saying that was rightly so.

"I know you are. And I know she is not the easiest person to get along with." He sighed.

"Well I didn't marry you for your mother did I my dear," she said.

-

Augusta begun to get the message after that day that Alice was not going to take any more advice forced upon her. She was going to do motherhood her way.

After everything that had gone on, Alice had decided it was time to expand on their hopes that they were going to be able to go and live out in the country. She had had enough of the house and enough of the city. Enough to last her a life time.

"Can you image it? A bit more room for Harry and for Neville." She said to her husband with eager eyes.

He had to say he could image it and it was what he wanted. His mind had been turning to it too. He wanted to have more time with them and he wanted to be able to run about with them as they grew. He did not want to be one of those dads who were never with their kids.

He did not want them to be coped up in London.

It was bad enough that every time Alice took them in to town she had to try and go under disguise. Once people found out that they had Harry with them, they had no chance of getting anything done. They were mobbed with people who wanted to see the Boy Who Lived.

No, a nice quiet muggle village in the country would be brilliant for them all. It was just what they needed.

"You know what, I really can," Frank nodded.

That was what they had always wanted was it not.

But when he said yes, she looked as if she was shocked, as if she had not been expecting that answer.

Checking the boys were in the living room (she did not want them to learn about the birds and bees this young age from watching the two of them) she sidled round to his chair and placed herself on his lap.

"Are you sure you wonderful man?" she said to him and she wound her arms about his neck.

"If I had known it was going to win me this much praise from that my dear then I would have said it a long time ago," he giggled and she kissed him.

"I wish you had," she said as she nuzzled into him. "You know what I think I got it wrong the other day. Santa is going to bring you an awful lot this year. You, my love, have been a brilliant boy." She whispered.

"So are you going to start looking for a house?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"As soon as I can!" she nodded with great enthusiasm.

"Well lets gets some where a bit bigger than what we have here." He said to her.

"Yeah I think that is a good idea. And somewhere where the kids can have a tree house."

"Yes, a room each for the boys and room for a nursery too," he nodded.

He had been skirting round the issue for a few weeks. But Harry had settled in with them since he had come to them.

She had to say she had been expecting it but It still took the wind out of her when he said it. Or maybe the better way to say it would be that he took her breath away still.

"Do you really think we are ready?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you?"

"I don't know – I suppose."

"Well things are going so well between us right now - we are on a good streak Ally, what with the boys. I don't know, I feel as if it is a time for change. If we were getting a new house, then why don't we have a new baby to go with it? The boys would be such good big brothers..."

And maybe a new job, he pondered to himself.

She nodded. She knew that they were going to be goods brothers.

She always wanted a little girl to go with their family.

"I know will be... well ok then..." she nodded.

She loved him and she trusted him.

-

"So what do you approve? Do you think that Lily and James would have done so?"

"What of you getting there boy away to some place in the country? Yes of course they would have. I think they would have loved the idea."

"I was hoping you were going to say that."

She had taken a week to get used to the news herself and then she had called Remus to talk it through with him.

"What is not to love? Surely that has to be every parents dream for their children. I know they would have liked it. What about Lily's mum and dad? What have they said?"

"Well they said they liked the idea but they don't know when they are going to be able to get down seeing us. They are still both pretty upset," she said. She had known they were going to be.

Remus and she had taken the opportunity to get out together. Rather than stay in the wizarding community they had chosen to go out to muggle London for a while and they were walking by the Thames. He pushed the double buggle containing the lads, and she had a hot chocolate in her hands. She had needed a perspective and she felt as if Remus was her best bet at that. There was Mary McDonald, one of the girls she had shared a room with, but she seemed to have left their world now the war was over. She had been in the Order for a time but when the war had ended she had gone and not been heard from.

Well, Alice had to say if she had not had Frank and the boy's maybe she would leave the world she had grown up in. But the fact was she had something to stick around for.

"I don't think it is something you ever really get over though..." sighed Alice. She refused to contemplate it ever happening her.

"No. I don't suppose it is." She could hear the sadness in his voice. She put her arm through his.

"You know that we are going to have a spare room, don't you? You will be able to stay over with us and spend as much time with Harry as you like."

"I really appreciate that." He nodded.

He was still struggling with his own grief for his friends but when he was with the Longbottom's it was much easier to deal with. Much easier.

-

Frank sat in his chair at work. His quill was in his hands as he studied the paper work that still had to be done.

It was hitting home hard that his was not what he wanted to be doing with his life.

He did not know why but he felt as if he should be putting his mind more to work than his body. He wanted to be researching and thinking.

Because the fact was he was enjoying the paper work more than the field work now.

It hadn't been like that when he had been working with all the lads. It had been fun and it had been exciting, he had loved it.

But it was like that now.

All he thought of was getting home to Alice and the boys.

And that was where he was going he thought as he defiantly picked his coat up and walked out of the office.

He had not just lived through the war to do a job he did not enjoy.

He had a family to love and a life to lead and he was going to support them.

But not doing this.

-

When she got home with kids, Alice had to say she was feeling more relaxed about the move than she had been when she had gone out. It wasn't that she didn't want to go. It was everything she did want.

But at the same time there was no way to deny that it was a big step.

Moving with the boys... but she supposed it was best to go while they were young.

And then there was the idea of having a new baby.

She did love the thought of another baby. She had always wanted a large amount of kids but when she actually thought about it she had to admit it to herself that she was scared. Who wouldn't be?

It wasn't as if having Neville had been easy. She had been in labour for over a day and it hadn't been without its complications. She had lost blood and she had been scared for her child's life. She had to balance that up against her desire to have another child.

She didn't have to think hard for she knew what was going to win out but it was still scary. The thought of going through that again terrified her and she couldn't deny it.

But at times a little fear was a good thing. And every terrified moment in her first labour had been so worthwhile. Her child was the very core of who she was.

-

"Honey I am home," a voice greeted her,

"Hey baby," she said with shock in her voice. "You're home early." She said as she stepped into the living room with a smile on her face. She put her keys and bag down on the table as well as her scarf. She had an amused smile on her face. She was glad he was home, but why.

"Yeah I am. And I need to talk to you about that..." he said his emotions rushing ahead on his brain.

She looked at him. He had a look on her face that made him look as if he was an excited little boy. It was the sort of emotion she expected to see on her sons face, not her husband's. Not that it did not make him look adorable.

"Ally, you are going to be so proud of me. I am going against everything mum ever told me and I am doing something on a complete spontaneous moment... well not really, I did think about it a bit, but still."

Whatever had happened just the enthusiasm he had for it was making her smile. He had not even waited for her to get her coat off.

"Well are you going to keep me in suspense or are you going to tell me?"

He took a deep breath. He had no idea if she was going to like this or not.

"I think I want to change my job. Ally I don't want to be an Auror."

She looked at him in shock.

As she tried to take in what he had just said to her she leant down to the buggy where the boys were squealing to be let out.

Harry's hair was all messed up from the wind but he looked rosy checked and healthy enough. Neville was the same only his hair was a little more tame she thought to herself as she tried to keep calm.

She didn't know why the thought of her husband leaving his job freaked her out so much.

That was a lie – of course, she knew.

"But baby," she said as she helped one of the boys out of their coats and then the other.

She did not want to be the voice of reason. But she felt she had to be. She was so glad to see him happy. She felt she had to say something though. "We are going to be buying a new house soon... and we have two babies to take care of."

They had two viewings booked already.

"I know but I was just at work today and I got to thinking. Ally what we have been through over the past couple years. That should never have been allowed to happen. And if there had been legislation and new political thinking in government, and people had researched Grindelward then they could have seen Voldemort coming and then so much would be different."

She looked at him and she knew he was being serious. He had put a hell of a lot of thought in to it as well that was clear.

"We have two kids to feed... and you want another baby?"

She knew where he was coming from but she felt as if she could not breathe. He had been an Auror ever since they had been out of school and he was on good money and she did not want to lose that now.

They were comfortable, but they would not be when they had been living off those funds for six months.

"We can't do everything right now."

She hated the way that he looked at her as if she had just burst his bubble or as if she had taken his favourite toy away.

It wasn't fair.

She was thrown back to conversation when they had talked about her going back to work. He had been so supportive of whatever she had wanted to do and there she was putting _his _dreams down.

But he was having all these ideas lately. It was just as if it was too much for her and she didn't have the energy to keep up.

She didn't know why but looking at him made her realise how tired she was.

She did not want to hurt him. That was the very last thing she wanted to do.

"It isn't that I don't want you to be happy because I do... but Frank.…."

The boys stood by her and looked from her to Frank. They felt the tension in the room and it was clear neither of them liked it.

Nor were either of them used to it. It was such a rare thing that their parents went against each other as they were.

Frank did not think it would have hurt so much if he did not understand why she was afraid.

He heard her and he knew what she was saying.

But Alice was normally the one who went in for all the crazy stuff.

"I think I need to go out for a walk."

She nodded.

He grabbed his coat and left through the door that the boys and she had just come through leaving his wife in his wake wondering what all that had even been about.

-

Alice put the kids to bed by herself and, by then, she had begun to worry when her husband had not returned, especially as it had got dark. It was never like him to sulk she thought to herself.

She sighed; she should have just heard him out. She felt as if she had just dismissed what he had said to her without even thinking about it. She also felt as if she had been a brat but the truth was she had just been scared.

The boys took longer to settle than they usually did though she put that more down to herself than them.

When she irritable she was hardly much good at soothing the pair of them into dreams.

Once that was done though she headed down to the room where her husband had greeted for her and waited for him to get back.

She thought if he would walk back through that door then everything would be ok for them.

And then in that horrible moment the worst thought she had ever had run through her head.

What if he was not going to be back?

What if this was it? What if he was gone for good?

She had not felt like that, thought like that since Voldemort had fallen.

And then before she even knew what had happened she was on the floor and she was sobbing her heart out. It felt as if there was nothing left for her to for and it was killing her.

If he was gone then hope was she ever going to cope?

She knew there was no way she would be able to raise their boys by herself.

There was Remus.

But no. She wanted her husband.

"Baby..."

What if he was never going to be back? What was she worth if he was not there to love her? What if she never felt his tender compassion again?

"Come on Ally, tell me what it is?" he said as he kissed her. He had not seen her like this. Ever. It was as if she was having a fit or a panic attack.

She looked up to see her dear darlings face. He was there. He had come back to her and she looked as if someone had just died. When he had not been there though she had felt as if part of her had. She had been so stupid. But she could not control herself and she knew she was not herself when he was not with her. When he was gone from her nothing was right.

When she had not known where he was....

She wanted to get all of this out to him so he would understand what was making her as she was but she didn't want to as well. She did not want to say she had doubted him when he had done nothing ... not really.

"Oh Frank," she said as she found her way into his arms. She felt as if she had been so stupid. After all they had been through together there had been no way he was not going to come back to her. That was just so ridicules. She knew him and she trusted him to return. So why had that day been so different for her?

But with all the thoughts in her head she had found it so hard to rationalise it like that.

"Oh Frank, I am so sorry!" she sobbed as he held on to her together and kissed her. "I am so sorry my love!"

-

During the walk, Frank had cleared his head. He had to admit it he had been a little reckless since the war had come to an end; he recalled how he had just tossed the paper asides when they had first got the news that Voldemort had fallen. He was not looking at the details in life anymore.

How he barely even questioned that taking in Harry might not be the right thing (it had worked but just as easily it might have not) and he and Alice both had to face up to that fact, it _could_ have been wrong.

And then he had said about moving and having another baby. He had let his head run wild and he had spilled all this out to Ally. And he had just thought she was going to take it.

But then he felt as if life was for living. He felt as if he had wasted too much time already.

He knew that he was going to leave work. He was living by his gut and it said that it was the right thing to do.

But then he should have sat her down and talked to her about it.

That would have been the right thing to do. But he had just been so excited.

And now he had come home to find his wife crouched down on their floor and she was crying as if her heart had been shattered.

He had not seen her in such a state since the day they had learnt that James and Lily had not made it.

"Baby..." he said to her gently as he came into the room. But she didn't even seem to realised he was there.

She just sat there with tears crawling down her face and it was tearing at his heart.

"Come on Ally, tell me what it is?" he said to her. He just wanted to know what had hurt her so much.

And then if it was a person then he wanted to rip it to shreds. He could not bear to see his sweetheart as she was then.

She was the very best person he knew. Yes, he had been upset that he had not got the response he had wanted from her when he came in from work... but he loved her no matter what. A onetime doubt was not going to break their love. He doubted that anything could because he was not going to let it.

There was no way he was going to let that happen.

"Oh Frank," she said to him from where she had been sitting. She moved over to him and through her arms about him he held on to her tight and kissed her, praying her sobbing was not going to subside.

"Oh Frank I am so sorry!" she said to him as she pulled back and looked in to his eyes. Her hands found his hair and begun smoothing it down. She was so happy he had come back and she did not know why she had believed that it was not going to happen but she had been so afraid. She just didn't know how she would have coped if he had not. She felt as if she had been such a fool.

It had been a long time since he had felt she had needed him as much as she seemed to in that moment. And how she did need him. He was a wonderful man and she never wanted to face life without him.

"Baby you don't have to be sorry for anything," He said as he held on to her tightly and tried desperately to comfort the women he knew he was always going to love. His sweet, sweet darling. "I love you so much my darling. Please don't cry," He said as his thumbs found her cold cheeks. She was so cold. It was as if she was ill and he had not realised it.

He had always seen her as some kind of super women. But in that moment he had to face up to the fact that she was not. She was as mortal as she was. And she was as weak as he felt he was at times. It had been wrong of him to depend on her strength and her courage when she had needed it so badly herself.

"I didn't even give you a chance and you were so happy and when you were gone I felt as if I couldn't think and I hate it when the two of us fight!" she choked out as she tried to tell him how she was feeling and what she was thinking. She really had not meant to let him down and she hated the feeling that she had. That was the last thing she had ever wanted to do. He was so, so precious to her. She just hoped he knew how much because if he did not then she knew she had let him down more than once and that was never going to do.

She looked so beautiful even when she was all red and puffy he thought to himself. Why had she let it get to her so much? Why had he not noticed that she was so sad or that she was having a hard time which she clearly was? And he had done nothing to ease her burden. Rather he thought he had added to it. And that was not fair.

"Oh come here Ally," he said even though he already had her in his arms. He hated to see her so distressed. He could not take it and he knew he had to do something too help her now he did know how upset she had to be. Even if all he could so what hold her tight then that was what he had to do for her.

Deciding it was best if she shut up she just held on to her husband for a while, she allowed herself to breathe in his scent just so she might reassure herself that it was real and he had come back. She had not felt fear like that in days and even since Voldemort fallen she knew she had soften; in the days when he had been about she would never had allowed herself to act in that manner.

Even as she told herself that he not coming back to her was a stupid thought she felt the fear it had put in her in her heart. She had to hold him close because there was no way she was going to be living without him. Not as long as she was breathing.

That fear was not going to fade in a hurry that was clear. And she knew he was going to be the only one who could make it fade for her.

"I didn't mean to get so upset -," she sighed in to him after a while. She felt she had to give some sort of explanation. "I just panicked..." It was not enough though and she knew that. He was used to her being able to cope under pressure. It had just got to her so much.

That he thought to himself had been clear. He hadn't needed to be told that.

"I did not mean to make you panic." He said as he kissed her forehead, knowing that he was always going to feel guilt for the way she had been when he had got in. It felt as if he had put her there. It was stupid but it was also the truth.

She shook her head into him and held on. He knew at that moment he had been pushing her too much. She may not go out work but he knew full well that she worked just as hard if not harder than he did when she was bringing up their boys.

He had been coming up with all these ideas.

But the fact was he had been ignoring one thing that they both needed - a holiday. That was something he was going to remedy as soon as he could.

_Please Review!_


	10. Time Away

**Chapter 10**

A week had passed since that night when Frank had returned to find his wife as a crumpled heap on the floor and Alice found herself in the south west of England in a tiny cost little cottage far away from life as they knew it.

It was cold but it was good to be away. They _needed_ to be away from life as they knew it. It was one of the ways they were going to heal.

She needed the break and she knew it.

On the first morning of the holiday they were in no rush to go out. In fact, as eleven dawned on them, Frank was still in his dressing gown and had his arm round his equally pyjama clad wife.

In front of a warm fire there boys were playing with toys together happily. It was all she wanted.

They were certainly enjoying the break already. They should have left for a trip much sooner thought Frank. He had been a fool not to get them away sooner.

"It is so weird isn't it?" said Frank. "How when the war ended we just got on with life? We did not even think about taking a break."

"It was what we were used too," she said as she held on to his arm which had been wrapped about her near constantly. She did not think she ever wanted him to take it away.

He had been right of course. They had got used to the fact they had had to work without a break whether they needed one or not. Then when it had all been over they had been thinking a mile of minute.

They did not stop to think what they had actually needed.

She knew she had scared him when he had found her. And it had showed in everything he had done since. He seemed to want to just sit and hold her more than he had in years, as they had so much more time to hold one another and be affectionate.

But then she knew the scares they both had were not healed yet and they had to face that they had scarred so much that they might not. Time could perhaps only do so much... no... It would all heal, she told herself.

Still they had the boy's to help them recover. It was much easier to heal when they were there. They were the best cures for any affliction.

Harry and Neville in a world of evil had kept their innocence and they passed it on to Frank and Alice when they asked for cuddles or when they smiled up at them. They did not see the good or the bad in them. They only saw the people who were bringing them up with much devotion.

If the four of them stuck together, then there was nothing that they were not going to get through.

"Why don't we get ready and go out on a walk?" he said to her. It might do them some good to get out for a bit he thought to himself.

He had to say he was not in the mood but he knew they had to get out for the sake of the boys. It was not fair to keep the two of them coped up all day even if he did just want to snuggle down with Alice all day long.

"Can we go in a bit love?" Alice felt as if she was still waking up. The thought of going out was not a nice one.

"If you want to." Said Frank with a nod.

"In fact," said Alice who had the feeling she just was not going to be in the mood to go out. "Why don't you just get the lads out for a bit?" she said quietly.

"Don't you want to come with us?" He asked her with a questioning eye brow as he cupped her cool cheek in his warm palm.

She shook her head. "As much as I love the three of you too bits, it would be nice to have a bit of time to have a bath without having to rush out of it for the boys." she said to him.

"You just want a bit of down time right," he said to her understandingly.

She nodded. She knew part of the point of going to the country was for them all to spend a bit of time together. But she also needed a bit of time to herself to get her head together.

And he knew that if either of them deserved a bit of time off from being a parent twenty four seven, then it had to be her.

"Ok," he nodded as he grazed his lips to her forehead. They were on holiday and it was hers as much as it was anyone else's. If she wanted a bath and five minutes to herself then that was fine by him.

"Right then," he said to her as he unwrapped his hands from about her (already wishing he could put them right back about her), "I am going to get you two boys ready for a walk and I am going to run my lovely wife a bath because you know what... your mummy is gorgeous boys."

Alice laughed as she watched her husband picked up the boys and gave each kiss on the top of their beautiful heads.

"Thanks for this my darling," she said to him.

"It is fine my love, it is no less when you deserve." he nodded.

"I am going to get some lunch together while the three of you are out." She told him. "And when you get back then maybe we can have a chat," she said questioningly.

They both knew that they had to discuss the future. They had chatted about it as if it had been nothing since the war was over. But that had not been working. They were saying it off hand whenever they had had a bad day or when they had got an idea. There had been little logical thought involved with them over the last few weeks it seemed to Frank.

It was tune for them to have a serious chat.

-

As ever it happened when the two of them had put the lads to bed. Harry and Neville seemed to be exhausted by all the fresh air they had had when Frank had taken the two of them out.

"So what we need to work out is how much money we have?" she said as she learned into him."And what we really want. Whether it is the baby, or the house, or a new job."

"Well I think maybe we should focus on the house." He said to her.

"Really?" she asked as she cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah." he nodded.

"But you're not happy in your job... and the thought of a new baby," she said shaking her head. She had got used to the thought they were going to have a new child... a sister for the boys,

He shook his head. "One thing is as much pressure as I think we can take at the moment."

"You mean as I can take."

He could not look at her when she had just hit the nail on the head.

She put her hand on her cheek. "It is ok," she said to him. "I know that you are only doing it because you love me."

He shook his head. "I know you hate it when I get all protective. I just cannot stand to see you hurt."

She shook he head. She hated the fact he had been so worried over her. "I know that. And I don't hate it all the time when 'get all protective.'"

"You don't?"

"No." She shook her head with a giggle.

She looked about them. She had to say him bringing them there was a bit of a master stroke. The cottage was just what she had needed from the high ceilings to the roaring fire.

"It was hardly the start to married life that either of us wanted, was it?" she said to him.

"As long as I got to begin my married life with you I didn't care about the circumstances." He shook his head. "You must know... surely you must know how much I love you."

"I do." She nodded as she felt the tears feel her eyes.

"I wanted you no matter what the circumstances were. And when the war was on we all had to be so strong all of the time," he sighed. If he had had his way then they would have had peace with their friends and their family in the first years of their marriage. But then they would not be them would they? They would be another couple who had different concerns and were ultimately different people. And he would not want her to be different. Not ever.

She nodded. Well she remembered the time they had been in.

"I am not going to lie. I came to depend on your strength more than I did my own. I guess I got used to you being so strong." He sighed as he stroked her cheek.

"Baby, you don't have to get so worried about me." She sighed as she held on to him. "I got a bit upset one day, and that was only because I was so – I don't even know what I was."

"You were under a lot of pressure." He shook his head. "And I was putting you under more."

"You had a good idea and I didn't even think about it. Baby, if you are not happy in your work then you know I am going to be behind you all of the way. I want you to be a writer or a politician if that is what you want. And I want us to have the new house with the garden for the boys. And I also want us to have a new baby. I want us to do it all because I think we deserve it."

He sighed.

"How much money do we have?" she asked.

"A fair amount."

She nodded. "Then I want us to try and think of a way to do it all. I can see what you are saying and I agree it is a lot for us all to take on but it is all good."

"Well, if we sat down and talk about it – tried to work out some sort of budget," he shrugged. Maybe there was going to be a way.

She nodded. "We should. And I didn't mean to get so upset."

He nodded. And then he asked her something which had been bothering him since he had found her.

The pressure as much as it was a logical explanation did not seem to account for the upset she had felt. There had to be more to it than she had said.

"The day when I went for my walk. What was it that made you so sadden?"

She had been dreading him asking that question. What she had though seemed so foolish now that she was on the other side of it.

She had to admit she was quite embarrassed by it.

"You know that no matter what it was you can tell me." He nudged her on as he kissed her nose making her stomach flip as if she was the teenager he had fallen for still.

"It was stupid." she said to him.

"No, it wasn't. I could see it in your eyes that no matter it was it was not stupid." He said to her gently as he continued to hold on tight.

She sighed. She knew she was going to have to own up to her thoughts if she wanted either if them to get any peace.

"I – it was just a horrid moment – but I didn't know if you were going to be back. I thought I might have lost you. And I was so scared."

He looked at her as if he was utterly confused.

"You thought I was not going got come back to you?" he said in disbelief. He did not know how he felt about her confession. He was glad that he knew. However, at the same time part of him was slightly angry that the thought had even made it s way into her head. Had she so little faith in him? Of course on the other side of the coin he just wanted to take her into his arms and tell her that was something that she never had to worry about for he was never going to walk out on her. He had loved her his entire life. Ever since he had first set eyes on her. And he could not change that.

For just a moment his head and his heart debated how he was going to react to what he had just been told. And then he took her into his arms deeper than he had in week.

"Always Ally," he whispered in her ear as he held on to her and kissed her neck, her ear, her hair. "I am always going to come back to you. Me not coming back is never going to be as problem." If he knew nothing else then he knew that for a fact.

Since the day he had set eyes on his precious Alice he had never even seen another women and he knew he would never survive if he was separated from her.

"I love you Alice Longbottom and I am always going to." He said as he held on to her. She nodded but didn't speak for fear her voice wouldn't come out.

She knew she had been a fool.

But she had just needed to be told that.

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	11. Rockin' About the Christmas Tree

**Chapter 11**

After they had been away for a bit and had a chance to rebound as a family group, the Longbottom's returned with every intention that their lives were going to change any time soon. Once she had had a chance to sit down with Frank and talk to him, Alice felt much better about everything they were going to do.

All of their wonderful plans.

And they had hell of a lot of them.

As much as they had come to the decision that they were going try and get it all done they had had to priorities.

And the boys came first. And that meant so did the house with the garden.

She wondered when they were gone to find it and how long it was going to be until they moved. For Neville the London house was all, he had ever known. He had come back there the night after he had been born.

She had to say for things like that she was going to miss the house they were in then. They had had a lot of good times there since they had move in. It had been a home to them even if it had not been what they had wanted all of the time and it had served them well.

As for Harry. Well he had only been there a couple of months with them and she did not get the feeling he had grown attached to it. Rather she thought it was going to be a good thing to get him out of it. There had been nights when he had just arrived and he had cried and he had cried and cried for his parents and yet there had been no way out of the house or back to them. She had wondered for a time if because of it he was going to grow up hating them for it. But he had settled with them now.

None the less she got the feeling a change of scenery was going to do the lad a lot of good.

It would do all of them some good.

So her days were split between the lads and a search for a new house. When they got there she was going to design a room for each of them but it was unlikely of course that they were going to split up right away. They were going to have to get used to the new house before they were split up.

It was getting harder and harder to remember a time when it had not been the four of them. Of course, she felt awful for that.

If there was any justice in the world then Harry would still have his own mother and father but as it was that was not the case.

"So what do you think boys? More cottagey or more housey?" she said as she sat on the sofa and looked at them where they were sitting on floor. In her lap were house magazines as she tried to get ideas for what they were going to want, not that she did not have many already.

Both looked up at her as if they had no idea what she was going on about and as if they didn't really care either.

No, what she knew they were looking forward too was Christmas. It was so close now that they were able to taste it. Both boys were, of course soon to be eighteen months and while she did not think they really knew what was going on they were eyeing up the decoration boxes in the corner with anticipation.

Frank had got the out of the loft that morning but he had made her promise that she was not going to start decorating without him. He wanted to be there with her and the boys when she did it.

Not only that but they had set Remus a letter to ask him over. Full moon had been while the family was away so it was perfectly safe to come over. It was also a while since he had seen the boys. He was going to be missing them, no doubt.

He had written quickly back to say that of course he would come.

No, she was looking forward to it. The only downer was that Frank had insisted his mother also got an invite. Alice had barely spoken to her since they had had the row.

But then maybe her coming that night was going to be a good thing rationalise Alice. She and Augusta were going to get a chance to clear the air before the holiday season which was approaching on them quickly. Augusta was going to want to see them more over it than just that evening. It was also going to be a good opportunity to let her see just how good Remus was to the boys and how good he was to them.

No, all of them were members of the same family now. They were going to have to get used to it.

"It is going to be a good night boys," she said as she nodded towards the boxes and smiled broadly.

-

She was sure to make a good dinner that night for her family and her guests. Alice knew maybe better than anyone except Frank she had not been herself at the end of the war. She had been stressed.

But she felt so much better since she had been home and she wanted that to show. She did not want people to see for a time that her nerves had been broken, even if they were her intimate friends and family.

Not when she had only just adopted the Boy Who Lived. She knew it was foolish but there were times when she was forced to fear the rumour mill.

She was determined that time was over though.

They were going to be fine. She could feel it.

So it was to the strong aroma of chicken going round the house and a cry of 'dada' and 'Rank' that Mr. Longbottom returned from work.

Work.

He had agreed that he would stay on while he wrote the first draft of his manuscript whatever it was going to be on, having decided to be a political writer.

He had a feeling that he wanted to work in history but then there was the law which had always been an interest of his. And Sirius was still on his mind. He did not know if he was just being an idiot and did not want to believe the truth which the rest of the wizarding world had done easily enough. Maybe he was being a damn fool.

But it did not feel that way.

When they got a deal he would leave the Auror office with any luck.

The problem was that was how he had made his name being an Auror. And he was not foolish enough to know he had not made a name for himself. Nor was he modest enough to deny that he could use it to his advantage and planned to when the time came.

But that was not yet.

With ease he picked both the boys (who he was also beginning to think of as the twins) for he was now well practised at holding them both.

"I am back Ally!" he called up the stairs though he was sure the lads cries would have told her that much.

Kissing them both with much affection on top of their heads, he smiled. He knew if he got this welcome when he got home then any job was going to be tolerable.

"Hey honey!" he heard a smiling voice say from behind him.

He turned to see Ally looking... amazing.

It was not that he did not think she looked every day but... she was simply breathe taking that day when she came down to meet hm.

She had a classic knee length black dress on. Her hair was done up in a messy, maybe a bit too I-just –through-this-up for it to be true style and she had done her face up.

Not lots, but enough...

She looked beautiful.

"Hello goddess of my days," he greeted her as he looked her up and down.

Alice allowed herself a smile as she got the reaction she had been hoping for when she had been getting ready.

It was good to know she still 'had it'.

He put the boys down and walked over to her with what he knew had to be a stupid smile on his face but he was not too sure he did not care at that moment.

It was times like those with Christmas approaching and her standing there before him he knew he was blessed.

What did he really need that holiday season?

He was still so in love with her and that was all that mattered.

He had felt insecure after she had told him for a moment she had thought he was going to leave her. He did not know why but that thought scared him too.

But as she stood there and smiled back at him all the fear left him.

She was so beautiful. And best of all, she was his.

"You know what, why don't we tell mum and Remus one of the lads is ill? And then we can catch an early night?" he said as he wrapped his arms about her.

So, so lucky.

"Because it is an immoral my dear?" she said as she put his arms up on his broad shoulders. When he was like this she found herself struggling to resist him. "Lying to met your own ends..."

Think of the tree. You had to decorate the tree...

"I can be immoral, none of us are good all of them time," he said to her with a grin that said everything he did not have to tell her.

She smirked.

He was so good but so damn bad...

Think of the boys...

"No, we have a tree to decorate and a dinner I have been making all day to eat."

"Are you serious ,Ally? You come down looking that darn good and then you are not going to let me take you back up the stairs. You have to be kidding."

She shook her head as she giggled. He was so wonderful when he made her feel so very loved she thought to herself.

What a fool she had been. All along in her heart she had known he was going nowhere. And he was never going to either.

"No, I not," she said as she suddenly became aware that his hands were holding on to her very tight when they had two small boys with them. "And not in front of the kids you. I am not going to have them learn about the birds and the bees from me and you."

He sighed. "I guess not. So you intend to make me wait until tonight?" he asked her.

She giggled. "I have not put you on a promise yet," she explained.

"You did that as soon as you put that dress on."

She smiled coyly at him. "I am going to go and give the lads there meal. Are you coming?"

"Are you kidding? I am not going to let you out of my sight even in here when you are looking like that."

She smiled as she picked Harry out of the floor, and watched as her husband picked their boy up. "I love your mummy so much Neville Longbottom... did you know they?"

He could hear his wife laugh and he could not help but think how musical she sounded.

How had he ever won her? Why had she, Alice who could have any man in the world, picked him?

-

By the time that the boys had had their meal Remus had arrived.

"Hey honey," said Alice as she saw him come through the fire place. It was good to see him.

"Hey Ally, how was your holiday?"

Frank had been the one to go and tell him that they were going away for a couple of days, just so he had known.

"It was really good," she said.

"I bet you did. I missed all of you though," he said as he embraced her.

"Oh, we missed you too!" she said with a smile.

"I am glad to hear it. Now where are the boys? I have been going Christmas shopping over the last few days and I just can't wait to give them there presents." He said with a smile. He really was over relieved that they had returned. Luckily, because he had been looking for a job (so far without the hoped for success) and the time had not gone as slow as he had thought it was going to. Life was harder when he was not near the friends he did still had.

"Oh, you know what; I think the two of them are going to get beyond spoilt this year." Said Alice with an indulgent grin, but she could not help but think that was the way it should be. They were both good boys.

"I think the two of them deserve it." Remus added.

It had been a big year for the two of them, she thought. If any of them deserved a good Christmas it was the boys without a doubt.

As they talked together the fire lit up again. In her letter she had given him a bit of pre warning that Augusta was going to be there with him.

"Can I say sorry in advance?" she said with a raised eye brow making him smile.

Remus had not been the only to have a bit of pre warning though. As she came through the fire, Augusta's son came into the room. There was a tense silence in the room for a moment. No one knew what to say for a moment.

"Hey mum it is good to see you," said Frank as he came forward and tried to break the tense silence. He gave her a dutiful kiss on the cheek.

But it was too obvious that it was no going to be broken that easily.

"As I am to see you my love," she said as she survived Alice and Remus through unforgiving eyes. "Where are the boys?"

"They are up in there room playing while they were waiting for you all to arrive." Said Alice with a smile.

It was doubtful that Augusta was going to believe that Alice did not enjoy winding her up when she had invited Remus to what she no doubt thought was a family occasion.

"Where is your uncle?" Frank's mother asked him.

"He was going to come mum but we got after this morning saying he was feeling a bit under the weather so I am afraid it is just for tonight."

She gave an imperious nod.

This despite the fact his wife had said sorry to his mother. "Alice, Remus why don't you go up to the boys and bring them down? It is time we got that tree up and got this holiday season underway baby." He said with a wink.

She nodded and headed up the stairs, the werewolf hot on her tail.

"Mum, I know you are not glad that we have decided to bring up the lads with Remus in their lives but you know that is what, we are going to do that and no matter what you say, that is not going to change because he needs us as much as we need him. Now Alice has said sorry for the way she treated you before we went away and if you are not big enough to deal with that then go. Mother, I am not going to choose you over her and the boys, you know that by now."

Augusta had always known that her son had a back bone but she had to say she was still surprised that he had stood up to her in such a way.

"And you are not going to reconsider? Even for the safety of those two boys."

"When the boys are with us they are safe. And Remus is not danger when he is not a werewolf."

She nodded. She knew he had made his mind up, she could see that. There was no point arguing.

"Very well."

"We are all part of the same family."

"If you-"

"Someone is here to say hello to his grandma."

Augusta turned her face to the stairs to see Neville in his mother's arms and Harry in Remus's.

Alice had to say her heart was softened towards her mother in law when she saw a badly disguised look of tenderness on her face.

Apparently it had not only been Remus who had missed them.

"Here are my boys," she said as she looked at Harry and Neville. She was glad to see the two of them.

"Yes and they are rather looking forward to decorating this tree so why don't we get going?" said Remus.

She gave a nod. She knew she was going to have to deal with Remus if she was going to see the boys,

"I think that is a good idea."

"I think I am going to get some music on then." Alice said as she went over to the radio and turned it on. The Weird Sister's newest single was soon playing through the living room. Everyone knew that they were hoping for a Christmas number one.

But that was not what was important to Alice. No, she was far too focused on the fact that they all seemed to be getting on. She only hoped it continued into the night.

A sense of unity had come to the house. She was determined to keep it.

"Right, let's get this show on the road gang."

Alice looked over at her husband and they shared a warm smile. More than her husband, she knew he was her best friend and he was always going to be.

-

"I can believe how much fun they had tonight," said Alice as she sat on the sofa, one sleeping pyjama clad boys under each of her arms.

Franks mother and Remus had gone around half ten after they had eaten and the boys had got grisly.

"Neither can I," said Frank from the arm chair where he was sitting across from his wife. "Look at those rosy cheeks. It was good for them to enjoy themselves."

"It really is." agreed Alice.

"It is good to spend time as a family too. They need that; especially Harry after the year he has been through."

"I know. I am glad he doesn't really understand that this is going to be his first Christmas without James and Lily," she would not like to see him go through that knowing what was going on. It was easier he was a child.

He had already stopped asking for his mother and his father so much. It was begrudgingly but he had accepted that he was with them now and that was the way it was going to be.

"As am I my dear. We can tell him what they were like when he is older but till then it is best he does not know a lot." He mused as he looked at the sleeping form of the boy. "Now, why don't we take these to up to bed, I think they could do with it."

She nodded.

She thought that was a good idea.

She had to say ever since her husband had seen her coming down the stairs to him and reacted the way that he had she had been rather eager for bed as well.

Yes. bed was a very good idea.

Slowly she passed Neville over to his father and she lifted Harry gently herself. Neither of them stirred. Both were deep sleepers.

Once they were both in their cot s, Alice sighed. "They are both going to need new beds soon," she said to her husband and he nodded. The twins were growing at an alarming rate.

"Neither of them are babies anymore."

She shook her head. She knew that she just didn't like it. But it was true. She had two toddlers on her hands.

If she wanted a baby in the house then she and her husband were going to have to make one, she mused.

She reached into the crib and she stroked back her son blond hair. She missed him being her baby. She wasn't ready for him to grow up maybe, but then there was no way she was able to put a stop to nature.

"Well get them a proper bed each for Christmas." nodded Frank.

"Don't you mean Santa will?" said Alice with a smirk.

"Of course I do. That was what I said."

She smirked and then turned back to her son for a moment. There were days when she still found it hard to leave him, but then she knew she could not that the boys differently. And that wasn't right.

She turned back to her husband and smiled.

"Come on," he said as he reached out for her hand.

-

Instead of getting her nighty on when she got changed for bed that night in the bathroom, Alice left it off.

Frank was sitting up in bed when she returned. He had been waiting for her.

"Come here, my lovely Alice," he said as he reached out for her and pulled her under the covers.

She smiled and she felt herself flush with pleasure. His hand somehow found her hair and his hand ran through it as she settled by his side. She did not know why but there were times when still she felt nervous when they were together. It was as if she was still a young girl. Stupid but true none the less. She never wanted to lose that feeling of anticipation.

They both felt as if they had been waiting for one another all day. And then both of them took each other with adoration, passion and an intensity neither of them wanted it ever to fade between the two of them.

She allowed him to kiss her as he drew her close. She had so missed being able to relax when they together as they were then during the war. And it was times like those she remembered just how much her husband meant to her.

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	12. A Visit To The Evans'

**Chapter 12**

"The legality of the thing cannot be argued. That each and every prisoner should have a trial at the hands of the ministry is inarguable." Frank read from the manuscript he had been working on. He had to admit it had turned into a more legal document than he had intended it to start with. "So what do you think my dear?"He had felt he had had to put what he had been thinking down on paper. There was something so beautiful about the way words were formed on a piece of paper when they came together.

"I think it is time for you to come and enjoy the Christmas festivities." She said with a smile on her face. Alice sighed. She smiled again indulgently at her husband. She knew that Sirius was still weighing heavily on her mind.

"I will but can you just read it for me and say what you think of it."

"I have done and darling I think it is good and you are right." She shook her head. "My husband the reformer."

"I think it is needed. I know at the time he was put in jail things were up in the air for unsaid reasons but." he shook, his head. "How much do you think I should trust my intuition?"

She shook her head and noted he was coming up with some very hard question to answer that night. She was damned if she knew what to say to him. Whether she should say what he wanted to hear. She did not know what the truth was and so she was unable to tell him that.

"How much do you think you should?"

He shrugged.

The thing was part of him felt bad. All the time he was deliberating a man who he though could potentially be innocent was suffering in what he thought had to be the worse placed in the world.

And all the time he and Alice were raising his godson.

He had to say it just felt wrong and he knew when normality returned he was going to have to do something about it. But for now. Alice was right. They had to enjoy Christmas.

As a family.

And prepare for the next day he mused which was not going to be a fun day.

But a necessary one.

As the holiday had approached Alice had got a letter from Lily's mother, written in her neat feminine little hand. She had to say she had been waiting for it but it still saddened her when she got it.

She did not know why. She supposed it was because it was written as if she was asking permission to see Harry. And she shouldn't have to. She should be able to see him whenever she wanted to.

Her daughter and her son in law should be alive.

But then at the same time Alice was not sure if she could image what life not raising Harry would be like now. She had taken the lad into her heart when he had come to her and that was where he was going to stay as far as she was concerned.

For always.

So on the Saturday before Christmas the four of them put on the best clothes and headed over to the Evans which what Frank and Alice had no doubt was going to be an emotional meeting.

"I wish there was a way I could make them feel better." She said as they walked up to house that she had no doubt was still very much in mourning for the daughter it had lost.

"I know but it is going to be hard. The occasion when a mother has to bury her child should not come to pass. Ever." Said Frank. He knew as well as she did they were going to be hurting still and he doubted very much that they were going to be able to help them. It was not the sort of thing you could do anything for.

That was one thing they were able to agree on.

He knocked on the door and looked at the lad in his wife's arms who he was not sure if he was going to recognise his grandma and his grandma.

The door opened to reveal the face of Lily Evan's mother and she looked much as Alice had expected her too. She was pale but had obviously lost weight but she was delighted to see her small grandson, who she had missed very much.

"Alice, my dear, how good it is to see you!" said Rose to her, but already her eyes were on her grandson. It was only too obvious to Alice who it was good to see.

"Not at all, thank you for asking us." She said with a smile as she carried Harry in. "I think someone has been missing you."

She gave an indulgent smile at the boy who was now looking as if he was trying to place her in his mind.

"All of you come in," she nodded to Frank. "Please, it is getting cold out there."

As soon as she shut the door her eyes were once again on Harry. It was only too clear how much she had missed him.

"Yes, they say it is going to be a harsh winter, don't they?" agreed Frank.

"Come through my dears." She nodded shaking with anticipation. "Let me see my little man. Oh, Alice I am so glad you have to see us; I have missed him so much."

"Now you just let the children get their coats off, Rosie." said Mr Evans as he came down the stairs.

The woman gave her husband a sheepish smile.

Mr Evans looked less shell shocked than he had when he had been at the funeral but there was no denying he was still suffering over the death of his daughter. It was written all over him.

He too had lost weight compared the man Alice had met when she had come home on holiday with Lily. It looked as if his face would not burst in to laughter as easily as it once had.

"Alice, my dear, it is so good to see you," he said as he greeted her with a smile on his face.

Unlike his wife thought it seemed he could not bear to look at the child in her arms.

She had to say she was not surprised - after all, Harry had his mothers eyes.

Exactly his mother's eyes.

It had it be hard to see him wear them when his mother could not she thought to herself.

"As it is to see you Mr Evans," she said as he kissed her cheek. He was forced to look at his grandson as he did so.

"And this is our boy come home is it. He looks well." Said Mr. Evans as he put his hand on top of his grandson head.

"He is. He is very well, aren't you? But he has missed the two of you." Alice said.

"Let me get the two of you some tea." Said Rose as she walked through to the living room and her husband showed the Longbottom's into the living room.

"So, this is your boy Neville, is it? Lily told me all bout him. He was born on the same day as out Harry, was he not?"

"Yes he was," Frank nodded as they were lead through.

The living room in the home of the Evans had to blush purple sofa that matched well with the beige carpet.

Lily had come from a family with some money, as had James so Harry was heir to quite a big fortune of his own.

The large windows brought light into the room which made the family home seemed bright and open despite the fact that death was still lingering in the air about them.

There were pictures of Lily and James on the wall.

Pictures that Harry could see. And he had the same look on his face he had when he had seen Rose for the first time.

He knew what the pictures showed.

it was then that Frank really begun to appreciate that no matter how much he and his wife were able to love the boy they were never going to be the same for his as having his mother and his father there for him all of the time. They were not Lily and James.

"It is ok sweetie," he said as he stroked his head tenderly to try and comfort the boy who was still very clearly grieving for what he had missed.

"Mama and dad," he muttered sadly.

He had not forgotten and as long as they kept there memories green in his mind then it was not going to fade.

Frank was not going to let the memory of his friends fade.

It would only happen over his dead body.

"Miss." He said as he learned into his uncle.

Then what happened had to be top be one of the most heart warming moment Rose had seen in a while.

Neville, in seeing that the boy who he had adopted as a brother for himself was sad, toddled over and put his arms about him. It was as if he knew what he was going through even at his young age and he was trying to comfort the other lad in any way that he could.

"No need to ask if the two of them get on." Rose muttered as she looked at Alice with a smile. She was glad her grandson had a brother who he was going to grow up with. That was what Harry needed, she thought to herself. Someone who he was going to be able to depend upon no matter what came or happened.

"They have taken to one another as brothers but I think they did that before Harry came to our home. Even if things had turned out differently to the way they did, they would have always been brothers." She could not imagine a world when they would not have been.

Rose nodded. She had known they had been friends even before her daughter had died.

"And he has been a good boy since he had been with you?" she asked.

"Oh yes he has been wonderful to be about. He is such a sweet little boy."

"I know he is. He is not a thing like his cousin." She muttered. She had to say she was not pleased with the way her other grandson was turning out. But then she had always liked Alice and she had faith she was going to raise her grandson in to a good young man of who her and her husband were going to be very proud.

"How are you Mrs Evans?" said Alice in a gentle voice.

Rosie nodded. She had been expected the question. It was layered with meaning.

At least she had not skirted about the question as so many others had since she had lost her child. That was another reason why she respected Alice. She was not afraid to say what she was thinking in a straight way.

"It has been a very hard few weeks and, if I am being honest with you, Alice then I can't say I can see it getting much better any time soon." She said to her. She had tears in her eyes and it was clear she was still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact her daughter had been taken from her when she was so young. She had been twenty one which they all knew was no age to die. And Lily had been such a wonderful person, Rose was sure it was not just her mother's bias. She had had so much to give to the world, and to see and to do. She could not bear to think she had left so much unfinished.

It just wasn't fair and she did not think she was ever going to get used to it. Not as long as she lived.

But this was the women who she had held when she had been young and had proudly watched as she had turned into a fine young witch. Alice had always known much joy Lily had brought to her parents and to think that was gone for them forever now was awful. She had no idea how she was going to comfort her. Or if there was ever going to be any comfort for them. Frank was right...

Alice reached out and took her hand. When she was in the house where she had had so many good summers with Lily she felt that her own grief was raw.

The best friend she had was gone forever and she was never going to be back. And it did hurt there was no getting away from that. It hurt her so much.

"I fear time is the only thing that is going to be able to help any of us," sighed Alice and Rose nodded. Rose could not help but think how wise Alice was for her age. She had been through so much in the past few years, just as her daughter had when she had been alive. And they had been through it together. It was no wonder that she felt such a connection to the young girl now her Lily was gone she thought to herself.

Alice had to say that was the feeling she had too. It was as if the two of them had been united by their grief.

"I hope you are right my dear but am not sure if time is going to heal me. You have to understand that she was my child, dear. She was the child of my heart and I miss her every day more." It was a dull ache in her heart that she did not think was ever going to fade. And it throbbed every so often to remind her it was there and it was never going to leave her.

Selfishly, as she heard those words, the only thing Alice could think was that she hoped she was never going to be doomed to go through that. She did not ever want to know what she was going through in the trustiest sense of the word, but then what mother would?

For all that she loved Harry she knew what Rosie had meant what she had called Lily the child of her heart for that was what her son was to her. She knew if it were not for Neville she would not have got through the war as she had.

And the thought of life without the boy who she thought of as her heart made her choke back a sob she had been longing to cry for some time now.

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	13. Sirius Thought

**Author Note:** Hey guys, just a warning there is some slash in this chapter (very light and nothing explicitly, just a hint really) but as I said earlier on I was writing this for NanoWrimo and therefore, side by side with Four Letter Words when I was enjoying Sirius/Remus fanfic so that pairing is coming up in this fic just to let you know...

On with the story...

**Chapter 13**

As Alice had known they were going to be as soon as she had begun to go shopping for them both, the boys were utterly and completely spoiled over the holiday period.

Not only by herself and her husband but also by Remus and Augusta, and Lily's parents who just as Remus had they seemed to have 'adopted' Neville as a second grandson as Frank and Alice had adopted Harry.

They were just one big family now and Alice wanted that to continue. It was good for the boys to have so many people who loved them.

But as much fun as she had had over Christmas, Alice had to say she was eager to get to the New Year as well. She had had enough of 1980 to last her a life time and she felt as if when they were in the New Year, she was going to be able to let go in ways she had not been before.

And that was what she needed; closure. The year they had just endured had been horrific in some ways – many ways.

Yet, she had to say it had been a magical Christmas for herself.

One of the best things had been that they had got a white Christmas which they had not the year before. She had wanted it then because it had been Neville's first Yule but then she knew he was going to appreciate it that year- maybe more than he would have the year before. The kids played out so long their lips went blue and yet they still protested when she and Frank finally forced them to come inside.

Once Christmas was over though, she allowed herself to get excited about the up coming year – it was one in which they had so much to look forward too. They had the house and the baby and the job.

And she knew for a fact her husband was eager to get on with his manuscript. He so incredibly eager to get on with it, in fact.

There were times over that holiday when he had been playing with Harry and all he had been able to think was that Lily and James should have been there with him (and a voice in his head persisted in telling him that the same went for the boy's godfather). And as soon as he had time to himself he got back to thinking on what had been occupying his thoughts for days.

Was there really a chance that the rest of the world was wrong about Sirius Black?

And if there was, then was there a way to prove it?

Remus was over more and more that season because the fact was he had nowhere else to be. The boys had rapidly become his number one priority and when he was there he could feel the friendship he already had with Alice and Frank becoming stronger. And as New Year approached though, Frank could not keep the thought he had been having between himself and his wife any longer.

He had to tell someone and he knew that someone had to be Remus.

Because he had known Sirius so much better than he had. And because the more he thought on it none of it made sense.

When he had got to Hogwarts, Sirius had wanted the world to be aware that he was different from the rest of his family and he had no intention of going the same way as the rest of them had; he had been so set against it. He had hated pure blood mania when he had been part of the Black family and when he had joined the Order he had quickly6 become a fanatical and radical member.

He knew what they said about power corrupting, but for some reason when it came to Sirius he just did not buy it. He had been a boy of such a strong moral character and that was what he had taken away with him the first time he had met Sirius. That was still with him to that day.

"You look as if you are a man with a lot on your mind Frank?" Remus had said to him as he had come and sat by him.

"I am that indeed." Frank nodded knowing that his friend has given him the way in to the conversation which he had been hoping for.

"Do you want to share?"

"Yes, I would. I think would be a good idea." Frank nodded as he nursed the glass of fire whisky that his wife had given to him just a while ago.

"Well I am here and I have ears," said Remus.

Frank gave a week smile. "Do you ever think that the ministry might have got it wrong?" He asked him.

"I think the ministry get a lot wrong about a lot of things. I am afraid you are going to be more specific."

Frank gave a grim laugh. What Remus had said had been true. They did get it wrong a lot. He felt nervous about approaching the subject of the ex marauder with Remus though. He had not brought it up himself and Frank supposed that he just genuinely didn't want to talk about it and he supposed if what the ministry had said was true then that was with good reason. He did not want to hurt his friend any more than he had already been hurt since he had lost so much already. But in his own heart, he knew he was never going to believe Sirius had done what he was meant to have until he saw the proof in front on his eyes though. Then he would believe. But not until that day.

"I think –" he paused for a moment wondering if he should say was what he was about to... but he just had to. "I think when they arrested Sirius they got it wrong. I don't know why but I do not believe he was the Secret Keeper. It just does not seem possible it was he who led James and Lily to their deaths."

Remus did not know what he was meant to say to that or how he was going to react. Frank had just said to him everything he had been longing to hear for so long but now he had said it Remus was not so sure.

"I know it is hard for us to accept my friend but this is a fact of life and it is what happened," said Remus, now having believed what they had been told for so long that he could not consider something else. If it was a lie and he had believed it so easily then he had no right to call himself Sirius' friend. Or a Gryffindor for that matter.

He had tried not to think of the playful friend he had once known since he had been taken away.

He supposed it had hurt him so much more because of everything else which had gone on between him and series.

The staff that the others did not and now would not know about.

He had thought Lily had had an idea of what had gone on between the two of them but that was all.

No one else.

No, he could not bear to think that Sirius had not been the one it because that meant _his _Sirius had been in jail for months and he had done nothing to help him.

And that was a thought he could not bear.

He could not.

"I am forced to say that I think you are wrong," In the time that he had been away from the friends he had seen himself growing old with once, he had convinced himself that Sirius had not been the man he had loved. No, he had dreamed up the man he had been in love with. He had been a mere disguise for the man who was in fact a monster.

But if someone else was thinking that Sirius might not have been the one to do it then should he let himself trust to hope when it had let him done so many times in the past, questioned Remus? Was he really so strong that he could let hope back in to his heart and hold on to it tighter than he had before.

"I know it seems as if it is impossible but I know the Sirius we knew would not have been able to do what he had been put in to jail for." He did not want to say that Remus should know that better than he, did though it was what he thought.

"But then we also knew that he was not who he said he was for all those years," And it was that moment that Frank could see it in his eyes that he was saying it to himself more than he was too him. Remus had to convince himself before he was capable of convincing anyone else.

It when then that Frank knew he had to do it. Because Remus was thinking the same thing that he was only he was too scared to come out and say it.

He supposed that was understandable. He had lost so much more at the end of the war than he and Alice had and he had been weakened by it; well, if he could not be his own strength then Frank would be it for him.

"Ok," said Frank as he withdrew from the conversation they had been having in the hope that Remus was soon going to feel more comfortable.

The mood did not take back off that night though and Remus Lupin did not stay as long as he might have otherwise if Frank had not mentioned the lover who he denied to himself he was missing.

But that was the way it had to be; because Sirius _had_ killed Lily and James and that was the truth.

It simply had to be the truth.

-

"I have to be honest with you I don't know why hone is so set on this – that Sirius is innocent. The rest of us had to accept it. But it is as if Frank is on some kind of crusade."

The fact that she had turned to her mother in law showed how desperate Alice was to talk about what was going on in her husband's head.

Augusta had after the Christmas season come to terms with the fact she was going to have to wait to be invited in to the lives of her children or she was going to lose them. She had also accepted Remus.

And she had to say she did like it when Alice felt she was able to go to her and talk about what she was going through. Contrary to belief, she did not like it when the two of them were at one another's throat all of the time.

It was not good for any of them.

Least of all for the sake of children.

"Well, Frank did always have a kind heart and he does not like to see the worse in any one. Maybe he is just clinging to memories in the hope that no one who could claim to be another friend could really be as vile as that Sirius Back really is." Augusta shrugged as she blew on her coffee.

"I know – I suppose I just really did not see it coming from him. I mean he seems to be having a harder time accepting it than even poor Remus has." Alice looked at her mother in law as if she was expecting her to have a go but she said nothing and continued to look at her coffee.

When the two of them put the effort in, Alice thought they really did get on.

"Have you considered the fact that he might be right?" asked Augusta. She did not know why but there were times when she trusted her son's intuition above her own.

And she also did not know why but it seemed now was one of those times.

Alice looked at her. She had to say she had not. She considered herself to be an open minded person but this time she hadn't been. She had just been angry that Lily had been taken away from her.

And of course baby Harry.

She had not.

But the problem was that it just seemed so improbable. How on earth could it not be him? Lily had told her that he was the Secret Keeper.

It had been him.

Yes, it had been an obvious choice but it had also appeared to be a safe one.

She was unable to think of anyone else they would have trusted to be there Secret Keeper when they had had their son with them. And she had known they had picked Sirius. There was no logic in them changing that she could see.

They could only go on what there gut was telling them and it seemed her gut and her husbands were telling them different things.

She shook her head. Maybe the war had turned her in to more of a pessimist than she had hoped it was going too. Maybe she had let it break her faith in her friends.

"No, I cannot say that I have. I just do not see how it could be but then if someone had told me than I was going to survive what we all have over the last few years I do not think I would have believed them either..." she said with a thoughtful shrug. "What do you think?"

"I think whatever my son does he tries to do it for the good of the people he really loves and if he truly believes this Sirius did not do what he is supposed to have, then we are going to have to let this run it course and let him get it out of his system before he can settle again."

-

"This is it this; is what I need to get in to the jail." Said Frank to Kinsley as he looked at the paper in his hands.

He did not like to go round the back route but he had not wanted his wife to know how far he was taking what she was calling the 'Sirius thing'; and he was going to take it all the way to Azkaban. Kinsley had assisted him in getting the papers he was going to need to get in on what some might call 'the sly.'

"Yes, that is all you are going to need to see Sirius Black though why you want to I have to admit is beyond me."

Frank nodded. He knew there would be a lot of people who would feel that way if they knew what he was doing. Quite frankly he felt as if he was putting his reputation on the line for this. But it remained something he knew he just had to do.

"As it is me, my friend, but still there are times we have to hear our hearts more than we do our heads." He said as he patted the man on the back and prepared himself for what he was sure was going to truly be a quite traumatic experience.

He was not looking forward to going to going to the prison. But he would go none the less...

_Please review!_


	14. Hope

_Whether you believe or disbelieve, it is a wicked thing to take away a man's hope_ - Winston Churchill**  
**

**Chapter 14**

The crossing over to the prison knowing what he was going to encounter had to be one of the grimmest experiences Frank had ever had. He was going to tell Alice about it that night he knew for he was going to have to get it out of his system. It seemed to him even more haunting than he had thought it was going to be.

But for now at least Alice thought he was in a meeting at work.

Not exactly honest, but then she would only worry if she knew the truth, he told himself. He'd explain when he returned. He hadn't wanted to give her the chance to talk him of it either.

No, he was doing the right thing. He had to do it.

He had to say he thought when the war had come to its end he had hoped he had seen the last of the Dementors.

Apparently not.

He could feel the coldness of them about him and he begun to long for the wife and kids he knew were back at his home. He wanted to get this done and then quench his urgency to get back to them. The Dementors always made him long for Alice... to be warm at her side and in her love...

But he had come too far to turn back. And if no one else was going to help Sirius then he had to.

Or at least he had to find out if he had done what he was meant to have.

Then he could rest.

Or help Sirius then he had to. But in all good faith, he could not turn back. If he did and it turned out he was right then he was never going to be able to forgive himself.

"You will get fifteen minutes with Black no more." Said the prison guard as they made their way down the cells.

He knew he had filled a few of them himself and he was proud that he had done that. But only people who deserved it should be there. He had made sure of that. He would never condemn an innocent man to this.

"A visitor for you, Black." The guard said roughly once they had got to his cell.

If Frank had been expecting the handsome lad he had grown up with then he was very disappointed.

He had only been in the jail for a few months but already Sirius looked gaunt and ill. But he was also aware and sane it seemed. Even on the way down through the blocks Frank had been able to hear the prisoners crying, screaming for their mothers, for their fathers and for in some cases there wife's and kids.

But Sirius was not crying. He looked quite collected on the inside. He even stood up to great him.

"My old friend," he said as he got up. There was a surprised look on his face. He had been waiting for someone to come but he had hoped it was going to be Remus. But beggars could not be choosers.

"Sirius." he said with a nod and he had to say now that he had come, he felt nervous about being there and he doubted if he had done the right thing.

What if he was the one who had got it wrong and the rest of the world had been right? What if this really was the barsted who had taken two loving parents away from their baby son.

But if he had done, then why was he not screaming yet?

Frank looked into his friend's eyes and he did not see hatred or anger. He saw hope. There was something different about Sirius compared to every other man in the cells.

When was the last times that had been there? When had he last allowed himself hope?

"How are you?" said Sirius. He knew he could not afford to screw this visit up.

Frank was not just his friend. He now hoped he could be his ticket out of jail and back home. Back to his god son. Back to his lover.

Back to everything he knew and adored so much.

"With all due respect Sirius we do not have time for this, so let's cut the crap. I have to ask you this. Did you kill James and Lily?" he asked.

Sirius thought on that... he had been the one to say they should swamp, so yes he had been the one.

He had been the one to give Peter the knowledge of how to kill them.

But then that was not what Frank was asking him and he knew it.

"If you are asking me if I was the Secret Keeper at the time that they died -!" It was too hard to say their names. He had not even been allowed to grieve for the man who had taken him in and treated him as a brother when no one else world have. The thought of James being dead was killing Sirius. But he forced himself to go on. Not for his sake. Not really even for Remus'. But for Harry's. Harry was number one to him. his godson had been his everything since the day he was born, no one was more important to him. "Then no I was not."

"I knew it." Said Frank, "I knew you were not capable of leading them to their death."

It was as if for the first time in a year's Sirius felt the warm sun on him after he had been stuck in a too cold winter or as if he had been in a shadow.

He felt a smile creep over his face.

"Then you believe me?"

"Yes I do... old friend."

Frank was truly a Gryffindor. Sirius knew he could react in one of two ways. He could rage at Frank for not coming sooner. Or he could be grateful that he had mustered the courage to come to him at all. One of the two routes seemed more likely to get him back to Harry than the other.

"Then you have got to help me to get out of here. You have to help me get back to Harry. You know how I feel about that kid and if he is not with his mum and dad then he should be with me. God, I must be the worst god father in the world. I don't know where he is right now." at that broken admission, Sirius looked as if he was going to burst into tears and break down. He was so relieved that someone believed him.

Frank could not image how sick that must have made him feel. He would be the same if he did know where his son was. He would feel as if he was letting Neville down in the very worse way that he could. In fact, he was sure he would go out of his mind.

"You don't have to worry about him Sirius. When you were taken, we made sure that he came to our house and he is with Alice and Neville as we speak."

It felt to Sirius as if a brick weight had been pressing down on his chest what felt his entire life and now for the very first time he could breathe. They were the words he had been longing to hear and now he had heard them relief washed over him. James and Lily's baby was safe. He was not with his aunt and uncle. He was safe. His pup was safe.

His baby was safe.

Safe. Safe. Safe.

"Oh Frank." Sirius did not think he had ever had such a welcome visitor and despite of himself he let the tears he had been holding in for so long trickle down his face silently. He felt as if – he did not know. He knew because of where he was it as impossible. But he felt joy and hope. He did – it was in the very heart of him. It was in his soul.

Not even the Dementor could take it away, as impossible as it seemed. As long as Frank was there he was acting as a Patronus charm, he was keeping him warm.

He fell to his knees and let out a tired sigh. Now he knew Harry was safe he could plan a way back to him without worrying if he was being looked after right. If he was with Frank and Alice then he was going to be looked after just fine.

The only person he could think of who could look after the lad better was himself. And he had no doubt that they were going to be back together soon. They had to be, surely. They had to be. Now Frank knew the truth.

"You are as welcome as the angel Gabriel here, you know that don't you?"

Frank bent down to the level of his friend. "Keep your heart, Sirius. I have to admit I don't know how I am going to get you out yet but if it is the last god damn thing I do, then I am going to do it."

If he had not been convinced before that the man was innocent, then the way he had reacted to news of his god son had confirmed everything Frank had known for so long.

"I do not care how long it takes you Frank, just please do it. Get me out of here and back to my boy. I have no doubt that you and Alice are great parents but it is me who owes it to James to be there for him, not the two of you. And I need him. As much as he needs me, I need him."

Frank nodded. He could see that and it was only to clear.

"I know you do Sirius and I promise. I am going to go everything I can for the two of you but first of all you have to help me if I have any chance. Who was it? Who was the Secret Keeper?"

"Who do you think it was?" Sirius growled. "Can you not think of who it was?"

He may not have been a marauder but he had been there dorm mate and there friend when they had been at Hogwarts.

If Frank had worked out that it was not him, then he had to have another suspect in mind?

Surely that stood to reason.

Frank nodded. He had to say it did sound mad. But then so did everything to do with this. And if he had got one part of the puzzle right.

The rat.

"Peter. I think it was Peter." He had been the unfaithful marauder. He did not know why but it just had to be him and somehow it worked. James had been the stag. He had been the leader and the head of the gang as it were. Remus had been the cause of the transformation to animagi. He had been a werewolf. He had been as it were, the heart of the gang – he had too much to be grateful for them for to betrayal them. Sirius he had been the dog. Even though James had always tore into him for being a damn mut there had been another reason he had been a dog and they had all known it. It was because he was so loyal to those he had loved. He was defined by that loyalty. That was why Frank had been unable to believe that it was he had who had led his great friend to his death. It was not in his character to do so. Sirius would have died himself first Frank knew that.

Then it had to be Peter because whoever it was who they had chosen to be there Secret Keeper then it had to be a marauder - it just had too.

"You know what, Frank, I think you are a lot more intelligent than we gave you credit for when we were at school together. It was you who should have been the fourth marauder."

He nodded. He wished he had been. If he had been the Secret Keeper, he would not have told. They might still be at war but then their friends would have been alive.

Maybe it would have been the greater of two evils but still; he too would have given his life before he betrayed the trust of a young mother and father who simply doing everything in their power to protect their baby.

"Do you think that he still out there? Do you think he died?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, he is still out there Frank. I know he is." They both did by the looks of it thought Sirius.

Frank nodded. Then he knew what he had to do.

"I have to get out of here and find him then."

"I would be beyond grateful if you would." Sirius nodded.

"I will."

His time was up and so the Auror left with a determine look set on his face. Sirius, alone again, was wondering if he had dreamed Frank up.

But if he had been there, then there indeed was a chance might see his little lad again.

Hope was kindled.

Alice had a smile on her face till she saw her husband. He looked grimed. She knew he had been in meetings all say so she was hardly surprised.

"A tough day was it baby?" she said as she put the washing she had been doing down.

He jumped.

"Hey, slow down there sweetie," she said as she begun to get worried.

When he was jumpy... he was never jumpy. Never.

"What is it?" she asked.

He looked at her seriously. He had to say where he had been but he had no idea how she was going to react to what he had done.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ally, I – he is innocent. I know he is." She nodded. She was getting used to him talking like this. She did not know when or if he was going to accept what he happen but when he did she was going to be there for him.

"Love, –"

"No, I am telling you he is an innocent man and I am going to get him out of there is it kills me."

She shook her head. "Honey..."

"I went to Azkaban today Alice," he said to her blurting it out not wanting to think of what new as saying. Unable to look at her he walked into the kitchen and begun to get a fire whisky. God knows after where he had been that day he needed it. No doubt Sirius could do with one as well.

One day they were going to toast his release, he promised himself.

_That was a promise._

"You went where?" she said, failing to conceal the shock in her voice and neither was she able to stop it showing in her eyes.

"I went to the prison and I saw him. He is an innocent man, Ally, just as I always knew he was and I am hell bent on getting him out."

She sighed and she had to say she felt a little exasperated by what he had done and yet not entirely surprised. She had had an inkling maybe he would.

"He is the man who killed Lily and James and you went to –"

"But that is the point though, isn't it? He _didn't_ do it Ally. He did not do it!"

"Then who the hell did?" Both of their tempers were rising and she knew it. It was always an odd situation when they fought. "Because all I know is my best friend from Hogwarts wasn't twenty two when she buried! Someone killed them, someone lead him to them! So who was it Frank? Who?"

She sighed once more she see how much he really did believe she had not done it. And she could hear her mother in laws voice.

"This is going to sound like the craziest thing I have ever said." He warned her.

She shook her head.

"On our scale honey, I think I can take that."

"I think it was Peter."

That was more than she could take. She knew he was eager to find a way to figure out if Sirius was innocent but as far as she was concerned for what he had done, trying to go after Sirius, Peter was a hero.

"Now, I know all this Sirius stuff is getting to you but you cannot say stuff like that. Peter was murdered on the day that Lily and James were."

"No, Alice all they found was a finger. No body."

"Yes. That was because the rest of him was obliterated." She had to say she was feeling angry with him. What he was saying was so wrong, it was so twisted she could not help but think.

And yet he had a look on his face and she knew he believed it. He really believed what he was saying to her whole heartedly.

"You're wrong on this one, Ally. He is alive and if I have to work twenty four hours day I am going to prove it because Sirius does not deserve to be where he is!"

_Please review! _


	15. The Deep Breath

**Chapter 15**

The more they both thought on thematter, the more neither Alice or Frank could sleep. Sirius kept them up in those weeks that followed Christmas more than the boys did. And if it was not Sirius then they were thinking of the new house, though that seemed to be at the very bottom of Franks to do list right then, thought Alice.

And as for the new baby...

Well Ally did not think she or he was going to be on the way any time soon much to her disappointment.

There was of course in all of this another person they had to consider and that was Remus. He seemed to be staying away from them more.

He did not like talking about Sirius with either of them and part of Alice did blame him.

She had to say she was not convinced by her husband's argument even then and she was not sure she was going to be but after he had gone out of the house the time before, she did not want to fight with him. Instead, she tried to talk to him and be rational.

As for the fact he had gone to the prison, she wished more than anything he had not. It could not be good for anyone to be there even for a moment, she thought to herself.

And then she thought if Sirius was innocent, then Frank had to be doing the right thing and he had to see it through.

There were so many sides to this story they had got themselves involved in.

And they had to consider them all.

She just wished she knew if they were doing the right thing.

She wished there was some way they might know for sure.

"I think I am going to go up to the school and see Dumbledore!" Said Frank at last. He had been trying to think of a way that they might find Peter but he realized they had been complicating the subject.

All he had to do was go to Hogwarts and get the professor to ask the ministry of magic to give the Sirius some truth serum. Finding Peter was not the priority getting Sirius out was.

He had to do this. He had to.

He kept on telling himself that because he kept seeing Sirius before his eyes when they had been in the jail together. He had been a man who had been broken by the injustices of the world. But he was now a man who was looking for a way to a future with his godson.

Frank had to say as much as he wanted to get an innocent man out of jail he was not looking forward to giving up Harry. He was as much part of their family as anyone else was now and he did not think Alice or Neville would give him up to easily either.

But then that was a bridge they were going to have to cross when they came to it and not before.

"Do you think it is going to do any good?" she said to him.

"if I did not then I would not be doing it." He said as he put his half drunk coffee down on the table.

As much as he was working hard, he loved it that he still had his family about him in the mornings and nights.

He only hoped that Alice still knew no matter how much he wanted to do this for his friend that they were still his number one. Especially her.

His wife and his boy and his Harry.

"It is not going to be easy task to get everyone to come about to come about to our way of thinking – especially at the ministry."

Dumbledore surveyed the boy who was sitting in front of him for that was still how he thought of Frank Longbottom. It was hard to think of his ex students as men and women even when they were. He had been the one who had seen them through their schools years and he had been the one who had seen them graduate.

He had found this was especially the case with the students had got through Hogwarts when they had been in the war; doubly so, if they had gone into the order as Frank and the rest of the Gryffindor's.

He had had to see them grow into men and yet they were boys. They should still be boys.

He did not think he was ever going to know how people like Frank and Alice had kept there faith in human kind.

Yet, if he had been asked how he had kept his faith then, Frank knew what he would say.

His son and Harry. Children had a way of colouring their parents view on life and that was always going to astonish him as long as he lived. The kids were his faith.

"Yeas but it is going to be hard ,not impossible to do. Sir, if you don't want to do it yet then I am imploring you to go to the jail and just see him. The Dementors. It is as if they cannot touch him. He had been in there for I don't know how long now and yet he is as sane you or me." he said and he realised maybe himself was not the greatest comparison at that moment. But he had to get the message across.

How many times had it been said that the man who was sitting in front of him was the greatest wizard of their age. If he could not help him then he was sure there was not one in the world who was going to be able too.

"There is no doubt in your mind that he did not do this now is there?" he asked.

"There was when I first started out but as soon as went to the jail and I saw him, I knew what I knew all along to be true. That there was no way on this earth that he would have killed James, you know that the two of them were more than friends; they were brothers." He said. He knew how passionate he felt over this but there were time that it still surprised him.

"Well, if you are sure then I will go to the prison and I will see for myself." He nodded.

"And then we can go to the ministry."

Dumbledore nodded. If he was right then they had to get him out of that god forsaken prison and away from the people who deserved to be there.

Remus sat in the kitchen at the Longbottom's. He was shaking he was that wound up at himself. He could not believe that Dumbledore was actually taking what Frank was saying seriously.

"He is going to go to the prison and he is going to talk to him?" he said to Alice. He was in disbelief. He had just taken it as word that Sirius had done it and now there was doubt over that. How on earth had he been able to turn his back on the man he had loved for so long? He did not understand and he did not think he was going to.

He could not believe that what Frank was saying could be right.

If he was innocent. If he Remus had got it wrong.

This changed everything he had begun to believe.

His eyes feel on Harry who he had become more and more attached to than ever before and the lad looked up at him too. It was as if the lad was saying to him Sirius had not done it. It was as if he knew something he did not.

And in him he could see all of them. He may only be the son of Lily and James but he was able to see all of them. Peter, Sirius and to his surprise himself in the boy. He was the true heir of the marauders. And he had to be brought up by them. Not just one but at least two. He was in need of Sirius.

In his eyes was everything he had once so loved about the past and his life but it looked as it could be coming back to him now and he was unsure if he was going to be able to take it, if he was honest with himself, which he had to be.

When he had turned his back on Sirius he had of let him down. He did not think he was ever going to forgive himself if he had let him go in there when he was not meant to.

"Yes, the professor is going over to the prison today." She said to him gently. She moved closer to him and put her hand on top of his.

"Oh god, Alice, what if he was innocent and I let him go through his without me. He is my best friend." he said and in a very motherly fashion she put his hand on the back of his neck and stroked it as if to try to comfort him but there was no comfort for him if he had got it wrong and they both knew it . No comfort he was going to be worthy of any way.

"I know he is but we have to be realistic. This might just a little crusade Frank is on and it might mean nothing." she sighed. She did not want that to be the case. She wanted it all to be right now and she wanted poor Harry to get his godfather back but she did not know how likely it was.

"He would not have done it," He shook his head. He seem to have recover his faith in him since Frank had and now he knew that Dumbledore was going he felt sure that he had been wrong and that, in fact, his lover _was_ an innocent man.

"He is going to come out of there and he is going to hate me for not helping him Alice. He is never going to forgive me."

"You do not know that my sweetheart." She sighed.

"Yes I do."

0

"Well, they are going to take him the truth potion tomorrow." Dumbledore said to the young man who sat across from him in his office. He had called him as soon as he had heard the news. He had known Frank was going to be jumping at the bit to get it. And it was only right that he should be the very first to know.

Frank could not believe what he was hearing. After all he had said and all he had done they were actually going to help him.

Tomorrow he felt was going to be judgement day for them all. It was going to decided whether he had been right to have his faith in Sirius.

He did not know what he was going to do if it came out that Sirius had done everything he was meant to have. He knew that if that was the case then he was going to have a broken heart and perhaps a broken friendship with Remus. If he had put them all through this and it turned out it had been for nothing.

No, he did not want to consider it.

All he could do was hope for the best. There really was nothing else for it now.

_Please review!_


	16. The Returning Innocent

**Chapter 16**

Sirius had a blanket about his shoulder as he crossed the sea and headed over to main land once more. He could not believe it yet but he had got out. He had had the truth serum and he had been proved right. He was an innocent man.

He was going home. He was going back to the mainland and he was getting his life back.

Sirius was shaking with anticipation. No, there was only one thing that was on his mind and that was seeing his little lad again. Harry...

He did not know how long he had been there- a few months he supposed. Christmas had gone. And he had heard nothing from Remus.

He had had not a letter not a visit.

He had had nothing.

When he got to the bay, he saw that it was Frank who had come to met him. He was glad of that.

"I don't know how I can ever say thank you to you for all that you have done for me but I swear if there ever is a way, I will do it in a heartbeat."

Frank shook his head and embraced the man as if he was a brother. He did not want to hear how grateful he was to him; he just wanted to see him safe. That had been his objective all along.

There next task was of course to find Peter and to put him behind bars.

If Sirius said that was who had done it then he believed him. But for now they had to get him back to the house. Peter, at least for the time being, could continue to wait.

"Come on, old friend ,let me take you back to ours. You can wash up and stay with us for as long as you want to," he was dirty and reeked of Azkaban he knew it but there was something far more important.

"Is Harry there? Please I have _got_ to see him." he said to him.

Sirius had never been over emotional before he had gone into the prison but so much had changed since those days and now the mere thought of seeing his godson was breaking him to the point tears. He had to be with him.

He thought he was going to terrify the lad if he broke down at the sight of his face but he did not know if he was going to be able to control himself.

All he wanted to do was hold him.

He had to get back to him and he had to fulfil his promise to James.

He had to do it.

"He is waiting for us at home."

Sirius nodded and let the man put his arms about him. He wanted to go home, which was for him wherever Harry was at that moment.

Alice was so relieved. When she had found out that Sirius had not been the one to betray James and Lily it had somehow made it easier. She knew it was not going to bring them back but at least it meant that Sirius had been true to James to the end and that felt important.

"Do you know who is going to come and see you today my love?" she said as she sat down with Harry on her lap.

"Who?" he asked and his bright green eyes looked at her with great intent.

"Your uncle Padfoot? Do you remember him my darling?" she asked as she kissed his forehead.

Harry got tears in his eyes at the mere name. It was only to plan that he did remember who he was.

"Paddy, want Paddy!" he said at once and begun crying against Alice.

"I know you do and he is going to be here soon my love he is." She should have waited to tell him...

A tear splashed on to Harry's cheek. He had been grieving hard for all and everyone he had lost.

"PADDY! WANT PADDY!"

"PADDY! WANT PADDY!"

That was all Sirius had needed to hear. As much as he had known that Alice and Frank would have taken good care of his boy while he had been away they were never going to be able to be his godfather for him.

They had been there for him since he had been born but not in the same way that Sirius had. It had been him who had taken Harry for the odd night when James and Lily had needed sleep. It had been him who had sworn to protect the lad and it had been him who had given him his first broom stick.

No, he was not going to have this anymore he thought to himself. They had been apart long enough and it was showed him that it had not been him alone who had been upset but there mutual absent in one another's lives had hurt them both.

It was not fair on either of them to be apart any longer.

Enough now.

Stepping out of the fire he clamped eyes on the boy for the first time since he had been put in jail.

His hair was matted, his clothes were filthy and he was exhausted. But he was the same Paddy who had been there for Harry since he had been born and as soon as those great green eyes were upon him he knew that.

Harry knew it was him,

"Paddy!" the crying had stopped but the tears had not and he was looking at him desperately as if to say just give me a cuddle.

Sirius did not need to be told twice.

"It is ok now sweetheart I am home and I am never going to leave you again."

Harry Potter looked up at his god father as he had done for the past hour – as if he was a hero who had come back for him. His adoring eyes were yet to leave the face he loved so much.

Sirius had not changed into fresh clothes and he had not let go of the lad. He did not think he was ever going to again. He just held him as if he was a life line which he was for him at that moment. If he had Harry in his arms, then it was true that he was free and that everything was going to be ok. Just as long as they were back together. From then on that had to be the way it was always going to be. Forever started right then. Alice doubted if there was any one else in the world who meant as much to Sirius as Harry did now that his parents were gone. Most likely not. It was a beautiful sight. To see them back together meant a lot to her.

Once again the two of them had found a home with one another. A home which Alice and Frank would never had been able to provide in a million years even if they had tried their very best.

Alice sighed.

She supposed in her heart she had known he had only ever accepted her as a substitute or a sort of care taker until the people he really loved came back to him.

She loved him and she begrudged him nothing. And if it was his godfather that he needed to be with then that was the way life went. She was going to let him go because she had never really had him she supposed. Sirius had been there for him in a way she could not be.

And besides, Lily had only said they were to have Harry is Sirius could not.

And now once again he could. It was only just and right they should then be together.

In fact, she thought it warmed her heart to see them together. It really did.

There was so much love for the boy radiating from Sirius' eyes. And he could not take his eyes off his god son. The way he cradled him made her thought of the way she cradled Neville. She knew how he felt. As if all the love in her chest was going to blow her head off. Just because of that baby was in yours arms and you loved them that much.

She had loved the boys same but she could never comfort the lad as Sirius could. He needed his god daddy in a way he had never needed her. And never would.

She sighed and wondered if for Harry the war had ended till he had got his god father back. The look of relief on the baby's face was what she imaged her hands looked like when she had read the prophet that first day after the war.

"Well all well that ends well, my love," she heard a voice say from behind her and she nodded. Frank as right. He snaked his arms round her and looked in on the scene she had been watching.

"How long do you think they are going to be willing to stay with us for?" she asked. She hoped it was for a good while. She knew Sirius was going to need help to begin with.

Frank shrugged.

He had to say he really did not know.

"I suppose they are going to have to stay for a good few weeks. Sirius is not ready to cope with a baby on his own yet but neither are they going to stay on with us forever," he said as they watched them together. He knew they were going to want their own place. But maybe not yet.

She nodded. She could see that. "We are going to have to give him back aren't we?" she sighed.

"We were second choice, no matter what way you look at it, Ally. James and Lily would want him with his god dad." Frank said. That was the fact and they had to respect the wishes of their friends. "And by the looks of it, Harry wants that too."

Alice nodded and she finally understood what it must have been like for Mrs Evans when they had taken Harry.

She suddenly wondered if she had been selfish.

Turning into her husband she held on to him but Frank's did not leave the god father and son.

All _is_ well that ends well. And things were going to end well for the two of them. He had made sure of that.

"I'm sorry," said Alice.

He looked down at her. "What for?"

"For not supporting you. For not believing you sooner."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. He is home and I love you, and that is the only thing in the world that matters Ally."

For the first time in months Neville found himself between his parents when he went to sleep. Even when Sirius had gone for a bath that night Harry had been unwilling to leave him for he might go away again.

Sirius had insisted that he take over the care of his god son from there onwards and that had started from the moment he had got into the house, so it was he who got his dinner and he who had got him ready for bed. Alice and Frank wanted to remind him that he had been through hell and he really did need to get some kind of rest himself but neither thought that sort of comment would be welcome. Sirius knew what he had been through and he was not going to forget it in a hurry.

And maybe his godson was the best and the only cure he needed. In any case he was not going to let go of him that night he had made that much clear.

So when they were all ready for bed that night the boys were allowed it with their respective guardians. Neville lay happily between his parents, while Harry slept soundly on top of his godfathers chest.

He dreamt of messy black hair and green eyes and flashes of light. But every time he stirred his godfather was there to soothe him.

The child got the distinct impression that from there on in it was all going to be ok. Every time his godfather put his arms about him it was as if he was just that bit nearer to his parents and that was just what he needed.

As for Sirius, he suddenly remembered what it felt to be a human again. He had lost all concept of humanity when he had been in jail. And he had forgotten what it had felt like to hold his godson and cuddled him. He could feel James was there with them and they were going to be ok.

Just as long as him and his little man stuck together.

No matter what.

"I cannot believe how much he has grown." Sighed Sirius the next morning. He had been out of the jail for but a few hours and yet he looked much better.

Better than he had in months.

"I know they both have," said Alice as she looked at the two boys.

"It does not seem possible that they were so small a few months ago."

"You'll get used to it after a while." she said as she smiled over at him.

"I suppose so, I did before. I remember the second time I saw him. He was still tiny but I remember how much bigger than he did when I had seen him that very first time at the hospital."

Alice smiled indulgently over at him.

"It must have been a moving moment for you."

"It was. Alice, I am never going to really settle down and you know that. But I suppose I am going to have to settle a little now." he said as Harry came over to him and looked up at him with big adoring eyes as if to say he love him.

Sirius laughed and ruffled his hair with so much pride and fondness he really did think his heart was going to burst.

He loved Harry beyond all expression.

"Well, Frank is at work today so I was thinking you, me and the boys might go out for a bit and spend some time together. We could go to the park." she suggested to him.

Sirius sighed. He did not know what to say. He wasn't sure. He quite liked the idea of just staying in and having time with Harry and Neville on his own.

"Or I can go out and get some shopping and you can watch the kids." She said as if she was a mind reader.

He smiled. She really did trust him didn't she? Not only was she offering to leave Harry with him but she was going to leave Neville with him to by the sounds of it. "If that is ok with you?"

"Of course it is, you can take as long as you want to. It is time I bonded with the two of them again." He nodded.

"Tell me if it is too 8much and I can put it off until tomorrow," she said to him gently.

"Not you, go and take yourself off for some spoiling. I need the time with them, they are going to heal me quicker than anything thing else is."

"I think you're right."

"Well go on." He insisted as he looked at the lads.

Soon he knew he had been right. Sirius felt better than he had ever remembered feeling as he held the two boys. Harry more than Neville. But he was glad to be with them both.

Of course, they took the opportunity crawl all over him but he loved it.

He had being beginning to consider the fact he wanted kids of his own when he had put into jail. And now he had been brought out and to all intents and purposes he did have a child of his own even though he wished the lads parents could return.

Don't, he told himself. Do not think of James.

He could not do it without breaking down and he had to be strong for the sake of the boys.

"We are going to be just fine," he said to them.

That _had_ to be the true.

He had his money back, he thought to himself. The owl telling him his bank account was once more open for use had come the day before. That was something, he supposed. It meant he was going to be able afford a house for himself and for his godson.

But then he did not think he was ready for that. He could fool himself that Harry was all he needed to get by but he did not think he was ready to look after him by himself. Not yet anyway.

He had to heal first.

And as much as he wanted it to be just them, he could not just take Harry off. He had a lot to get ready first.

_A Few Days Later ..._

"So what do you think of it?" she said as she turned to face him.

"Well, I have to say ally it was not what I was expecting." He shook his head.

Frank looked up and about the room and sighed. This was truly a beautiful house. He had always known that she had had good taste but this was exquisite he thought to herself. She had out done herself.

A barn conversion was a place he had never thought of as a possible home for himself and his family, but already it felt like home. It felt so warm.

Do you like it darling?" she questioned.

"I suppose. The house ... it is great. It is everything we wanted when we started looking for a house and a bit more." He nodded. He really did like it.

It had an even bigger garden than he had anticipated it was going too, and there were more bedrooms than he had thought it was going to as well. That was going to be a plus for them when they had guests to stay over.

It was big enough for them all and it had the feeling of a warm family home. That was what he had wanted for the house. And it was so different to everyone else's house. That was a plus for him too. The Longbottom's were always a bit different. If he had his way then they were always going to be as well.

He looked about it once more. There were high beams on the ceiling and there was a huge open fire place. He could already see them all round it come next Christmas.

And when he said all of them he did mean all of them, he meant himself, his wife and his child, Sirius and Harry as well as Remus and lastly his mother.

They were a family all of their own. And at that moment, he could see all of them there.

Alice had found the house a while ago and she had been thinking of a way to bring it up. She had thought it was beautiful. And she had fallen in love for the first time since she had had her son and she wanted it to be there home from the first time she had set foot inside of it. She wanted there to be the place that she brought the kids up.

"You want this my love, don't you?" he said as he put his arms about her. He could see it in her eyes.

She nodded. She had never felt like this about a house. She had just felt good as soon as she had gone into it.

"I do - don't you think it has a really good feeling?" she said to him with a smile on her face.

She could see herself raising their boy there which said a lot to her.

"I suppose I can."

"Do you want it?"

"I do." She said with a smile and for good measure moved forward and begun to kiss her husband in earnest and he begun to wish she was on what he knew was a charm offensive every day of the year.

"I could get used to this."

"I bet you could."

He sighed as he stroked his hand down her cheek.

"Do you think it is safe to go home yet?"

She shook her head. "God only knows my dear." The house wasn't the only reason they had gone out.

Remus cradled the hot cup in his hands. He had waited to be invited until he had come to see Sirius.

Sirius, who he had been in love with since – since what felt forever.

The two of them looked at one another and they were both trying figure out what to say.

What was there left to say between the two of them now?

How did they even begin to make it better for one another?

How on earth were the meant to forgive and forget?

Were they ever going to get back to where they had been before Azkaban?

Neville had gone down for his nap not so long ago but Harry had stayed up and was playing quietly in the corner looking up at them. It was as if he was waiting for them to get talking.

It was as if he had been possessed by the spirit of his father to be exact.

"How have you been then?" said Remus at last as he sat opposite to Sirius.

"Much better since I have been back with Harry," he nodded.

"I am glad." He nodded. He did not know how else to respond or what else to say.

"Yeah so am I..."

"Sirius I –" he sighed. He did not know how he was going to explain himself.

"Remus, you and the rest of the world believed that I was a murderer. But you know what, I think I could have taken it if you believed me, but nothing Remus. Nothing in months, no contact, no letters. Nothing."

He watched as his lover lowered his head in shame. If he had tried to defend himself maybe it would have been easier to take, Sirius mused.

"I don't know what I can say to make it better, Sirius. "

"Neither do I. There are no magic words."

Remus felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He knew this was what he had done to Sirius.

"I am so sorry love."

"Don't call me love. You lost that right when you abandoned me." He said with venom.

But he knew he had to keep his calm. He was not going to scare Harry. He was not going to lose Harry so soon; he was not going to let him go ever again.

"I know I don't. Sirius, I am appalled at the way I have behaved. If there is any way for me to win back your trust please tell me." Remus did not want to live on without him anymore.

"It's not going to be that easy Remus. You know this is going to take time. But I don't have time at the moment either because the time I do have I have to devote to Harry right now. He needs me more than you," he was not going to let anything get in the way of him and his cub right then.

"I know – but maybe one day..." Remus asked hopefully but the look in Sirius eyes told him it was just too soon for them to talk on such a bases. They had always been there for one another until it had come to the day when Sirius had really needed him to pull through for him. And he hadn't. He had just left him.

That hurt even more because it seem to rob him of even all the memories he had had of him and his love.

"One day." He said bitterly. He hated the way that his heart and his soul still reacted to the man he had love for so long.

He wanted to order it to stop racing. He wanted it feel the same hate he did for Peter for Remus for he had been just as much as a betrayer had he not?

_No_. He had caused no death. He had merely lost faith. And though it was hard, faith could always be recovered.

There was hope for him.

There was.

But who knew when that was going to be? They had been so close to everything before the end of the war...

Now everything was gone and what they had could not be and Remus had no idea how or if they were going to get back there again. He did not want that to be because it he was honest with himself then he knew Sirius was the love of his life.

"Is there any hope?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Does this parenting stuff get any easier?" said Sirius.

Two o'clock in the morning had come and he wanted to be asleep but that did not mean Harry did.

He was not grouchy and he was not ill. He just simply did not want to sleep. And if he did not sleep then it meant his godfather was not going to sleep either.

Alice had heard the two of them up. Neville seemed to be going through the night but she had been unable to go back to sleep before she had checked on them.

"Sleep helps, but yeah it does – eventually, I'm sure." She said as she walked into the living room.

"Tell him about the sleep, not me." Sirius sighed as she sat by him and have him a smile. He nodded towards his god son who was now playing with bricks on the floor, gurgling happily away to himself.

"He would not settle and can't sleep. I thought I might as well get up with him for a bit rather than try and force him to sleep. He is like his dad. If he does not want to do it then he is not going to!"

She nodded. She had known that.

He sighed and looked at her with a complacent look on his face. She was never going to mean what Lily had to him but the Longbottom's were his best friend at that moment.

"How did it go with Remus?" she asked tentatively. Since he had been living with them she had got the idea that he had not been merely friends with the werewolf.

And they were both her friends who she cared for them so much. She did not want to see either of them hurt and she was convinced they were going to be able to make one another happy again as they once obviously had.

He shrugged. "I do not even know yet. I am trying to figure it out, but it was as if I could not read him and what he was thinking." He sighed. "How could he have just left me there? How was it his faith in me was broken so easily, Ally?"

She looked at him with pity. She knew that Remus had not been the only one to lose it though. She knew she had too.

Frank had been the only one to keep it.

He was such an honest true man. She knew that. The truth was she and Remus had always known it.

But grief had a blinding affect at time.

"You know what the times were like... when Lily and James died I guess he lost it for a while and he was so hurt at the mere thought it could have been you, that he tried to block out hope it wasn't."

"But I would never have done that!" he said and he raised voice startled his godson who looked unhappily over at him.

"Shhh," he said more gently as he tried to soothe the boy who was comforted as soon as the kind look of his godfather returned to Sirius face. "It's ok baby."

There were times when Sirius felt that it was only ever Harry who had had faith that he was going to come back.

"We know that but as I said the war had a way of clouding peoples judgement and you know that was the case." She told him. She knew he knew it. The war had been such a hard time and it had meant people had had to over analyse everything so that meant they got it wrong through no fault of their own at times.

He fell silent. He just wished it was not the case.

"Now that you are back, I think you need to take your life slowly with everything," she advised him. She prescribed to the view that time was the ultimate healer and she always had. Everything got easier and felt better when time passed.

"I think you are right. But at the centre of everything has to be that little boy," He said as nodded towards his god son.

"Yeah he does... but you cannot put your life on hold," she said to him gently. He was going to be able to be the dad Harry needed and still live for himself at the same time, she was sure of it.

"That is just what I have to do. James and Lily aren't here to do it. And he is everything to me." He nodded reaffirming everything he knew by saying it out loud.

"I know he is." She nodded. He had showed that time and time again.

He had two goals in his life now. One was to raise his lad as a fine man as his father had been and the other was to catch the barsted who had killed them.

"You can have a life and love him though." She pointed out.

She knew she was one to talk. She revolved her world about Neville. But she wanted to see Sirius happy again. And she was not sure he was going to be if he was not with Remus.

But now Voldemort was gone they had all the time in the world.

Pacing yourself was a good thing.

Time was a healer and for the first time in years they had plenty of it.

And fate was after all the ultimate match maker.

_Please review!_


	17. The New Longbottom

**_Epilogue_**

_One year on..._

New Year brought renewal. But there was more than one reason for it that year.

With a huge smile on Remus face he walked down to the Longbottom cottage. He had been waiting to go ever since he had heard the news.

"Are they back yet?" he asked Sirius as he got there. He was eager to see Alice and the very new arrival to their family.

His lover and him were beginning to recoil now, he could fell it. Sirius was much friendly than he had been and they were beginning to talk again, as they once had. Talk about things that mattered. Sirius had given up on keeping him out of his life it seemed at long last. And he was so eager to be a part of it once more.

And Harry was, of course, as ever bringing him back into the family. It was important for him to have Remus close by thought Sirius, for Harry's sake of cousse. If there was ever a time when he was unable to recall a detail about James and Lily (though he hoped that never happened) he was going to need someone to step in and help him. There was no one better for that than the werewolf marauder.

The three of them were going to be a family with any luck. But time was needed still.

And Sirius was yet to find a house of his own.

When they had moved at first the Longbottom's had made it clear that he and Harry were more than welcome to stay for them as long as they wanted too. As long as he felt he wanted help. And the barn conversion was more than big enough for the lot of them.

But then he had had to consider Harry too. And while it could not he denied that the apple of the lads eye was his godfather, he had a brother in Neville, much in the same way James had had one in Sirius and he had as of yet been unable to find the heart to tear them apart.

And he liked living with Frank and Alice. It was easier for all of them when there were three parents instead of two. It was easier to enjoy the kids as well as do all the things they had to do. Three parents meant more quality time.

And they were going to need that time more than ever now that there were equal number of kids and parents.

"They just got back a while ago – she is so beautiful." He said with a smile as Remus walked into the big kitchen that looked out on to the garden.

When he walked into the kitchen he saw Alice and Frank by the breakfast bar. Neville was in his dad's arms and Harry soon wondered over to him and put his hands up to Sirius.

In Alice's arms though, was a brand new tiny baby girl.

The latest edition to their family.

She had a tiny button nose and her tiny eyes were shut as she slept peacefully. She had been born at the right time unlike her brothers. As her mother held her, Alice knew she had nothing to fear. There was no one who was trying to rob the new life in her arms away from her, the new baby was a child of peace time and if god sent brothers and sisters after her they were also going to be born into a time of peace if their luck held.

It was so impossible to believe over a year had passed since they had been put through such a horrific war. Alice only thanked the lord that they had got through it together. And things had turned out right for them. She had found out she was pregnant on the day Peter Pettigrew had been sent to Azkaban for his crimes. It had been a double celebration.

"Oh Remus it is so good to see you," said Alice but she did not take her adoring eyes off of her daughter. Yet the tender emotion in her voice told him that was the absolute truth. She was thrilled he was there with them.

It was where he belonged as far as she was concerned, with the rest of them.

"How is she?" he asked as he kissed Harry's head and felt Sirius' hand on his back as he pulled him into the family circle. It was an emotional moment for them all. And it brought out the tenderness he had been waiting for, for years. It was as if everything was going to be ok when he felt that touch, he savoured it. Maybe Alice had been right and he was going to come round in the end. When he looked at Sirius he saw there was the same look in his eye that had been there so many times before. He had not fallen out of love with him by any degree.

"She is like her daddy and her big brothers. She is utterly perfect." She said with a beaming smile. Alice did not believe her luck some days.

Remus nodded. He had got there as soon as he had been able to and he was so happy he had.

A girl in their family. They _were _a family. A normal family who had been through extraordinary things.

"Our baby Clementine," announced Frank.

Remus turned to look Sirius in the eye as if to say 'what?'. It was obvious that he had not seen that coming either but it was not what they thought that mattered when it came to the girls name. But then Alice was an old fashioned girl herselfat times. And in a way she supposed it suited the baby to be a Clementine, just as there boy suited being a Neville.

"Baby Clemmie... I like it." Said Sirius as he at once shortened the name. Clemmie was cute. Clementine was a bit stern.

But Clemmie was pretty.

Frank looked up at him as if he was going to contradict him and tell him not to shorten the name so soon but then he looked down on the baby and smiled.

His baby girl: _Clemmie._

**The End**

**Author Note:** Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story!


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